Chocolate Stout Mini Cakes with Irish Cream Frosting

It was a harsh reality dragging myself out of bed this morning...in the dark! Ah daylight savings! How are you handling it today? I absolutely loved the fact that it didn't get totally dark out last night until after 7pm. Shaun and I went for a long walk in the sunshine around 4pm yesterday and it was great. The streets were bustling, the sun was shining, the weather was perfection. I'm looking forward to leaving work tonight in the daylight!

I think we ALL need a treat this morning...you know, in order to properly adjust. I made you one.

So this coming Saturday is St. Patrick's Day. I'm not Irish. But I don't care, I'm still down to wear green things and eat copious amounts of corned beef and cabbage and Irish cream laden desserts. Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, don't you think?

 

This weekend, I made a little snack to share with you. I didn't dye anything green, but I did use some nice Irish alcohol in my dessert. I had made these Irish car bomb cupcakes a few years back and they were such a hit that I thought it would be fun to test out another dessert with chocolate, Irish stout and Irish cream. Enter these cute little mini cakes, loaded with buttercream.

 

 Shaun proclaimed this one of my top 3 desserts of all time. I'm not sure what the other two are on that list, but I have to agree with him.

Oh!

And the super duper fantastic supercalifragilisticexpialidocious part? They are just 4 Points+ per cake (I didn't tell him this until after he ate one) AND they are incredibly easy. Yeahhh buddy!

Chocolate Stout Mini Cakes with Irish Cream Frosting
Makes 30 cakes; 4 WW Points+ per cake

for the chocolate stout mini cakes:
1 box Supermoist chocolate cake mix
1 box chocolate sugar-free fat-free instant Jell-o pudding mix
3/4 C Guinness draught
1/2 C applesauce
3 eggs

for the Irish cream frosting
1/2 C butter, softened (1 stick)
2 C confectioners sugar
2-3 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
splash (or two) of milk

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, Guinness, applesauce and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer ready. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then on medium-high for 2 minutes until all ingredients are completely combined and fluffy.

Using a tablespoon-sized mellon baller/ice cream scooper, drop heaping tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet, into a greased whoopie pie pan. I used both methods and the ones from the whoopie pie pan came out a little cuter and nicely shaped, however, if you don't have one it's no thang. A baking sheet works totally fine.

Bake for about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly on pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter until totally soft and fluffy. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, thinning out with the Bailey's and vanilla as it beats. Add milk if you'd like to make it thinner. This frosting is very strong Bailey's flavor, and so if you don't like that so much, use less Bailey's and more milk. Frost cooled cakes and top with sprinkles of choice.

 

Eat many, immediately.

 

Give some to friends. Give some to your building concierge. I did. They liked them.

You will too. I promise.

Questions of the Day:

Do you prefer it to be dark in the morning and light at night? Or vice versa? I think I prefer it this way!

Do you look forward to any Irish-themed eats for St. Patrick's Day?

For more St. Pat's recipes, please see:

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Irish Oat Cake + Irish Cream Frosting

Irish Soda Bread (my favorite one ever!)

Beer Braised Corned Beef & Cabbage

 

Everyone's Irish on St. Patty's Day!

It's everyone's favorite green holiday and let's face it...even if you aren't Irish 364 days of the year, you are on St. Patty's Day! In celebration, I'm making traditional corned beef and cabbage via Real Simple, and chowing down on some baked goods that I froze last week. And just in case you missed it, be sure to check out these St. Patty's Day favorite!

Is there a more fun way to enjoy dessert than by incorporating some of the most delicious alcohol around? Guinness, Jameson and Bailey's make my Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes one for the dessert record books.

The typically dry Irish Soda Bread comes to life with this recipe via my good friend Kristen and her mom. It's Kathy's Irish Soda Bread and once you go Kathy's way, you won't go back.

So how are you celebrating St. Patty's Day? Grabbing your green Mardi Gras beads and heading out to Happy Hour? Relaxing on your couch with a six of Guinness?

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

We're starting Monday on a sweet note. Though I skipped the Hoboken St. Patty's Day festivities on Saturday (a tradition that I have partaken in during the past years but just wasn't feeling it this year), I was, however, feeling inspired by (what else?) the food. And while I wouldn't typically tout the Irish for having top of the line cuisine, I will get behind their beer and their bread. This week, despite my non-Irish background (don't let the freckles fool you), I'm giving into my love of all things green with some St. Patty's Day inspired treats. First up? Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes. I know, it's not PC...but who walks into a bar asking for a shot of Jameson and Bailey's dropped into a pint of Guinness without referencing it as a Car Bomb? No one I know. So that being said, let's get down to business. When I devised the concept for these cupcakes, I honestly wasn't sure how they'd taste. But the end result? Nothing short of light, heavenly chocolate cake and creamy frosting with just a hint of, "what's that flavor I'm tasting? It's fabulous!"

I know, it seems weird to use so much liquor in a dessert, but trust me on this. The Guinness makes the chocolate sing, akin to adding coffee to your chocolate. It doesn't taste like coffee or beer, just makes the chocolate...well, more chocolatey...and in turn, more delectable. The Irish cream in the frosting doesn't overpower the cream cheesey, sugary goodness...it just gives a hint of Irish cream, which brings the whole cupcake flavor together. Let's get down to the deets...

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
*Adapted from smitten kitchen
1 cup Guinness
2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs

2/3 C sour cream (don't skimp and use low-fat. Go big or go home)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring Guinness and both sticks of butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Note: when you add the cocoa powder, the mixture will foam up, so stand back. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat eggs and sour cream until combined. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture to the eggs and sour cream and beat just to combine. Note: You will want to add the warm liquid in slowly, and make sure it's cooled slightly. Otherwise, you'll have scrambled eggs in your batter. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on low speed to combine, but not completely. With a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until completely combined. This is a light and airy batter so folding is a must. Line muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Fill about 3/4 of the way with batter (I use a big ladle for the perfect pour). Bake 17-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Whiskey glaze (optional)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 C water
1/2 C Irish whiskey (like Jameson)
1 C sugar
Sanding sugar or sprinkles

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar, water and whiskey. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for five minutes. Once cupcakes have cooled, dip tops into whisky mixture and roll in sanding sugar. Note: The glaze is not necessary to enjoy these cupcakes. It gives an extra kick of liquor and in the spirit of the Irish, I included it. But, these cupcakes are simply delish with or without it. When I made my batch, I did half glazed, half unglazed.

Irish Cream Frosting
aka the best frosting you'll ever eat
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
2 C confectioner's sugar (or more to taste)
2 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream (if you want to keep this alcohol-free, try it with Irish cream coffee creamer)

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until mixed and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar, one at a time, fully incorporating with each addition. Add 1-2 tbsp of Bailey's (to taste) and mix until incorporated.

So there you have it. A fun St. Patty's Day cupcake recipe. So what do you think? Do you eat any fun treats around the holiday?

Psst...stay tuned for St. Patty's Day treats part two, where I share a recipe for the best Irish Soda Bread you could imagine. And if you're just itching for more cupcake recipes, check out this, this, this and this.