These chocolate Guinness cupcakes must be some of the moistest cupcakes I’ve ever tried! You cannot taste the Guinness per say, but the Guinness helps to enhance the chocolate flavour so that you end up with deeply chocolaty cupcakes with a slight malty flavour.
What? A chocolate Guinness cupcakes?? You read right!
Yep, that was my first reaction to the suggestion of these cupcakes. I don’t really like Guinness or stouts but the combination between chocolate and Guinness sounded intriguing and very different to the usual red velvet cupcakes I make.
The result was really moist and chocolatey cupcakes. The Guinness perfectly complements the chocolate and adds moisture to the cake batter. So even you don’t like Guinness, you might really love these cupcakes!
This recipe comes from Cupcake Jemma’s Cake Book. She is well-known for her YouTube videos on her CupcakeJemma TV channel, but also has her own shop in London called Crumbs and Doilies. Check it out next time you are in London!
Extra tips:
1) Use bottled Guinness (Guinness original)
Avoid adding foam to the cupcakes as it will distort measurements. Bottled Guinness will create less foam when poured than canned Guinness. Another way to avoid foam is by pour the beer very slowly down the edge of the measuring cup. Pouring it in quickly will lead to more foam
2) Use room temperature butter and cream cheese for the frosting
Using chilled butter or cream cheese may result in lumps in the frosting. To ensure a smooth texture, remove the butter and cream cheese from the fridge, at least 1h before starting to prepare the frosting.
3) Do not over-beat the cream cheese
Over-beating the cream cheese will cause it to break down and become grainy/runny. It will be too soft to hold its shape.
4) Chill for a couple of hours before serving.
Chilling the cupcakes allows the frosting to set and the flavours of the cupcakes to mellow.
Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
These chocolate Guinness cupcakes must be some of the moistest cupcakes I’ve ever tried! You cannot taste the Guinness per say, but the Guinness helps to enhance the chocolate flavour so that you end up with deeply chocolaty cupcakes with a slight malty flavour.
For the chocolate cupcakes:
- 250 ml Guinness Original
- 250 g (2 sticks + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter (cubed)
- 225 g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
- 75 g (3/4 cup) cocoa powder
- 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 2.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 140 ml (1/2 cup + 2 tbps) soured cream
- 2 large free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cream cheese icing:
- 190 g (1.5 sticks) butter (at room temperature)
- 375 g (1+2/3 cup) cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 75 g (3/4 cup icing) powdered sugar (sifted)
- Preheat the oven at 160°C. Place the Guinness and butter in a pan over a medium heat and allow the butter to melt, but make sure it doesn’t boil. Whisk the cocoa powder and sugar until dissolved, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the vanilla extract and soured cream, then beat until well combined with an electric mixer. Gradually pour the Guinness mixture, whisking continuously. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl, then add the wet mixture, beating continuously until silky smooth.
- Transfer the cupcake mixture to a small jug and carefully fill the paper cases just over two-thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes or until the spring back when touched. Leave to cool, transferring to a wire cooling rack after 5 minutes.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes using the paddle attachment, or until pale and smooth. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, then add to the butter mixture in two stages, beating well between each until beautifully smooth – if the mix seems too loose, add a little more icing sugar until the consistency is just right. Start on a low-speed and build up to medium.
- Decorate the cupcakes with the icing and sprinkles.