Incredibly tender and moist Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes filled with the most decadent, silky and smooth chocolate ganache with whiskey and topped with light and fluffy Irish cream whipped cream frosting. These homemade chocolate cupcakes are the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert!
If you are looking for some other easy and delicious Irish recipes, be sure to try the absolute best Irish Soda Bread and this quick and easy Instant Pot Corned Beef!
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
These Guinness chocolate cupcakes are the perfect dessert to enjoy for St. Patrick’s day celebrations although, they are so delicious that you will want to make them throughout the year!
These cupcakes are made from scratch with cocoa powder and Guinness stout beer which adds a very light bittersweet taste to the rich chocolate flavor of the cupcake.
Why This Recipe Works?
- The addition of sour cream to the batter gives these Guinness cupcakes their moist crumb and fluffy texture.
- The slight bitter taste of the stout beer deepens the chocolate cocoa flavor of the cupcakes.
- The whisky infused chocolate ganache adds sweetness to the cupcakes without making them overly sweet. You can skip the whiskey if preferred!
- The creamy Irish Cream frosting has notes of vanilla, almond, whisky and caramel.
- A boozy cupcake on St. Patty’s Day is so much better than drinking green beer or searching for leprechauns!
Ingredients In Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
For a complete list of ingredients and exact amounts, check the recipe card below.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour, not cake flour which is too light when combined with cocoa powder.
- Cocoa Powder: I used natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Butter: In culinary school we always baked with unsalted butter however, you can use salted butter if that’s all you have.
- Sour Cream: I used full-fat sour cream which keeps baked goods moist and tender.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar but a combination of both brown sugar and granulated sugar is never a bad idea when making a stout chocolate cake! Molasses and chocolate go well together. I only chose granulated sugar because we have many flavorful components going on here! Lack of flavor is not an issue in this recipe.
- Guinness: The real star of this baking show! Although I am not the biggest fan of beer, I love the flavor it adds to savory recipes and baked goods. If you worry about taste, these cupcakes won’t taste like beer, I promise! Also, the alcohol in the beer burns off during the baking process making this a kid friendly cupcake. (See notes about the ganache and frosting)
- Baking Soda and Salt: Baking soda reacts with the acid in the beer, cocoa powder and sour cream creating a lifting effect which makes the cupcake rise perfectly. Salt adds flavor.
- Egg: This ingredients adds a structural component to baking. I use organic large eggs (free-range if possible because happy chickens give better eggs!)
How To Make Guinness Cupcakes From Scratch
- Preheat the oven and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners.
- Melt the butter and Guinness in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Cool for about 15 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the egg and sour cream together until combined. Add a third of the dry ingredients, stir until almost combined. Add half of the Guinness mixture, a third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the Guinness and finish with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven cool completely before frosting.
Whiskey Chocolate Ganache
Whiskey chocolate ganache you said?? Yes, please! This is a basic ganache recipe that can be made by heating heavy cream in the microwave and simply pouring it over chocolate chips! We are not re-inventing the baking wheel here!
The whiskey in the ganache preserves the alcohol in the whiskey, making this a boozy-happy filling. Although the amount of whiskey added is minimal, you can omit it if preferred.
Irish Cream Whipped Cream Frosting
Luck of the Irish cream! This frosting is super easy to make with just 3 ingredients. However, you may want to omit the Irish cream if you prefer a non-alcoholic frosting. You can use vanilla extract or Irish creamer if preferred.
This is just a quick overview of how to make this cupcake recipe. For detailed instructions, check the recipe card below.
Are These Guinness Cupcakes Alcohol-Free?
Although the cupcakes have Guinness stout in the batter, the alcohol burns off while baking however, the alcohol in the ganache and in the whipped frosting doesn’t. If you preferred, omit the whiskey in the chocolate ganache and to make the whipped cream frosting, use vanilla extract or Irish creamer. Exact amounts are provided below, in the Chef’s notes portion of the recipe card.
Can You Actually Taste the Beer?
Not really! These cupcakes taste more like a rich, malty chocolate cupcake. The chocolate, coffee and malt essence of stout is there without any alcohol flavor.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Make Ahead:
These moist cupcakes (without the filling or frosting) can be made 1-2 days in advanced and stored covered, at room temperature.
Filled cupcakes can be kept stored in an air tight container for a day.
Storage:
Although due to the delicate whipped cream frosting, these cupcakes are best eaten fresh, leftover cupcakes should be kept stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Freezing:
You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Make sure they are properly wrapped to prevent freezer burn. Thaw out at room temperature.
Guinness Cupcakes recipe Tips
- The alcohol in the Guinness beer burns off while the cupcakes bake in the oven.
- For a non-alcoholic chocolate ganache filling, omit the whiskey.
- For a non-alcoholic whipped frosting, use vanilla extract (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) or 2-3 tablespoons of Irish creamer.
- Using a piping bag to pipe the ganache in the center of the cupcakes, makes the job easier and neat however, a spoon can also be used.
Take A Look At These Other Chocolate Recipes:
- Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Waffles
- Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
Filled Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Cream Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (110 gr) butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Guinness stout
- 1/3 cup (30 gr) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural & unsweetened)
- 1 1/3 cup (160 gr) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 gr) granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt or Kosher salt)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) sour cream, at room temperature
For Chocolate Ganache Filling:
- 1/3 cup (60 gr) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 1-2 tablespoons whiskey, or to taste (optional)
For Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Irish cream, or to taste (optional)
Optional:
- St. Patrick’s day sprinkles, chocolate shavings, chocolate jimmies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
To Make the Cupcakes:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the Guinness and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Allow the mixture to cool for about 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the egg then, add the sour cream and stir on medium speed until combined.
- Add about a third of the dry mixture into the sour cream mix, stir on low speed until almost combined, then add about 1/2 of the Guinness mixture. Add another 1/3 of the dry mixture, the remaining Guinness mixture and finish with the remaining dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overbeat!
- Pour or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill each about 2/3 full to avoid spilling or sinking and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then, place on cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.
Make the Chocolate Ganache:
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a small microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, heat the cream until warm, about 15 to 30 seconds. You can also do this on the stovetop, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. You want the cream to be warm without boiling (watch carefully!).
- Pour the warm cream over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 1 minute then, stir until smooth. Stir in the whiskey if using. Allow to cool a bit, until thick, but still pipable.
- Place the chocolate ganache filling in a piping bag fitted with a round tip (0.25 or 0.5). You can also use a resealable bag with a corner cut off. Lastly a small spoon can do the job too!
- With a spoon, small pairing knife, pipping tip or an apple corer, cut a small hole in the middle of the cooled cupcakes. Pipe some chocolate ganache in the center of each cupcake until it reaches the top.
To Make The Frosting
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and Irish cream and whisk until just reaching stiff peaks, about 4 minutes.
- Using a piping bag with your favorite decorative tip, pipe frosting onto each cupcake. (I used a star tip)
Recipe Notes
- The alcohol in the Guinness beer burns off while the cupcakes bake in the oven.
- For a non-alcoholic chocolate ganache filling, omit the whiskey.
- For a non-alcoholic whipped frosting, use vanilla extract (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) or 2-3 tablespoons of Irish creamer.
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