Beer Cupcakes Yes Really Food

CHOCOLATE BEER CUPCAKES WITH WHISKEY FILLING AND IRISH CREAM ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Bring Irish stout beer and 1 cup butter to a boil in a saucepan and set aside until butter has melted, stirring occasionally. Mix in cocoa powder until smooth.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Beat eggs with sour cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low until well combined. Slowly beat in the beer mixture, then the flour mixture; beat until the batter is smooth.
• Divide batter between the prepared cupcake cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 17 minutes.
• Cool the cupcakes completely. Cut cores out of the center of each cupcake with a sharp paring knife. Discard cores.
• Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat; stir in bittersweet chocolate until melted.
• Mix in 2 tablespoons butter and Irish whiskey until butter is melted; let mixture cool to room temperature. Filling will thicken as it cools.
• Spoon the filling into the cored cupcakes.
• For frosting, whip 1/2 cup butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Set mixer to low speed and slowly beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat in the Irish cream liqueur; adjust thickness of frosting with more confectioners' sugar if needed.
• Spread frosting on filled cupcakes.

BEER CUPCAKES (YES REALLY !)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F; butter a muffin tin.
• Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into muffin molds and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack.
• Using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth, sift in sugar, and beat. Add milk, and beat until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cupcakes.
• Note: make the glaze thicker or thinner by adding or subtracting milk.

CELEBRATORY CHOCOLATE BEER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cupcake pans with 24 liners. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
• In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the milk, butter, vanilla extract and eggs and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Whisk in 1 cup boiling water last. Batter will be very thin. Pour evenly into the prepared cupcake pans until about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 21 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. Place the cupcakes in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.
• For the beer flavored ganache: In microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream on high until it begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the cold butter and stir until butter is combined; this will cool the ganache. Then, add the beer and stir until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to dip the cupcakes. (If it hardens too much before you are able to dip the cupcakes, reheat slightly in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir well.)
• For the chocolate beer frosting: Dissolve the salt in the beer and set aside. In a 5-quart mixing bowl, cream the shortening until very creamy, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and the cocoa powder to the bowl and mix well. Pour the salt and beer mixture into the bowl and mix until combined. Then add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
• To assemble: Dip the cooled chocolate cupcakes into the beer flavored ganache. Then pipe chocolate beer frosting on top of the ganache layer using a 1M Wilton tip, or any tip that will create ridges. Drizzle the cooled Beer Drizzle over the frosting.
• Pour the beer into small saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat. Continue to stir to avoid burning. Reduce the beer and sugar until it begins to thicken slightly and resemble syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

ROOT BEER FLOAT CUPCAKES & FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325*F
• Prepare cupcake pans with paper liners.
• In a bowl mix cake mix, flour, sugar and salt.
• Slowly add root beer and blend.
• Add vegetable oil and root beer extract and blend well.
• Add sour cream and eggs. Blend. Scrape sides of the bowl and blend again.
• Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 full.
• Bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then move to a cooling rack.
• Once cupcakes are cool, whip heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar together.
• Place whipped cream into a piping bag with a metal tip.
• Holding the metal tip with one hand, and the top of the piping bag with the other hand, stick the tip into the center of a cupcake and squeeze. Cupcake will expand slightly. Remove tip and repeat for all cupcakes.
• Once all cupcakes are filled, top with Root Beer Buttercream Frosting.
• To make frosting, beat butter until silky smooth.
• Add powdered sugar 1 cup at at time blending well between each addition (total of 3 cups).
• Add extract and heavy whipping cream and mix well. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
• If root beer buttercream is too thick, add additional heavy whipping cream (1 Tablespoon at a time) until desired consistency.
• Pipe onto cupcakes and top with a root beer barrel candy.