Chocolate Guinness Cupcake (makes about 24)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup room temp Guinness
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water; beat until smooth and combined.
Spoon the batter into liners about two-thirds full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Transfer tins to wire racks and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes; turn cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Now you are ready for the ganache.
Irish Whiskey Ganache
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.
Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1 cup plus 2tbsp sugar
5 large egg whites
pinch salt
1lb room temperature butter, cut into 1tbsp sized pieces
1/4 cup Irish cream
Put sugar, egg whites, and salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, and set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved (the mixture will feel slippery between your fingers with no trace of the grainy sugar.)
Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes. Add the cubed butter about 3tbsp at a time making sure it is fully incorporated after each addition. You may notice it does appear to look curdled after you have added in all butter but keep mixing it will come together. once it is fully mixed switch to the paddle attachment and slowly beat in the Irish cream.
Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
