Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Who doesn't love a good cupcake... with alcohol infusion?

I was ecstatic when I came across this recipe, as Irish Car Bombs have been a staple of my St. Paddy’s Day celebration for years. I immediately ran out to the store(s), bought all of the ingredients, and then realized I had no party to attend or hold where people could snack 2 dozen cupcakes. Sidebar: I am not one to downsize a recipe of this nature; they never come out quite right in my book.   

So, I didn’t end up making the cupcakes in time for St. Patrick’s Day. We were out, they would have gotten stale, and that would have been a sin. I made them a few days late. Hey, it’s still March, right! The original plan of baking pre-St. Paddy’s included a birthday cupcake to a co-worker, who ended up with a belated birthday cupcake. Afterwards, I decided that Nick and I should spread the cupcake love to family living close by. One pint-sized cutie pie in particular dived right in, loving every bite... girl after my own heart! (Don't worry, there's not nearly enough alcohol in these to offend even the most conservative of parents.)

 

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 90 minutes | Bake Time: 17 minutes

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream (no substitutions)
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons Irish whiskey

For the Baileys Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar
5-7 TBSP Bailey’s Irish Cream

*** alter the powdered sugar and Bailey’s to taste

1. To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer in a separate bowl beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

3. To Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling: Finely chop the chocolate, or use morsels and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. I used the double-boiler 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.

4. To Fill the Cupcakes: 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. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag, or Ziploc, with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

5. To Make the Baileys Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

6. Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.

(Recipe slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker's photo below) One day I will learn how to frost like that!



Thought Invoking Thursday #2

Life-altering moments. Must they occur before we are able to see the error of our ways, a wakeup call pointing out gaps of time wasted, or that we have possibly been taking a loved one for granted- who no longer wishes to fill the role of complacency for you?

A very good friend of mine recently found himself in this position. A moment had come and gone in his life leaving his world chaotic and unfamiliar. How had this happened? 

What could he do to fix it? There was no easy answer. It was much more complicated now and the simple phrase, “I can change” would no longer fix it. What were his options? Accept the situation, learn from it and move on, or fight harder than hell for what he wanted. Refusing to settle for the hand he was dealt or playing the role of the static character, he persisted on. “I can change” quickly turned into “watch me change.” Actions speak louder than words in my book. Girls are used to hearing the empty promises, exposing themselves to vulnerability, only to get slapped in the face with hurt and angst in the end.

**Digression: Why do girls love romantic comedies so much? Aside from the typically hot, shirtless guys casted, those men put themselves, their ego, their pride on the line; they risk everything to show, not tell the women how they feel. Are woman suckers for believing into the big romantic gestures/hype of those movies? Not at all, many women are suckers for not requiring it from their men in reality.

Back to this friend of mine, he figured it all out. In the past few months, I have had the privilege of listening and really hearing him evolve into the man he wants to be, the man he knows that she deserves. He put himself on the line to prove to the only girl he will ever want that she is everything to him, and he will do whatever it takes to prove that to her. Regardless of the outcome, I could not be more proud of my friend.

So my point is this, don’t let it come to the life-altering moment before you take note that there is a problem. Don’t be left heart-broken and in disbelief. Take control of the situation before it becomes unfixable. How do you know if this applies to you? Answer the following:

-Take a look back at the last 5 years of your life. What do you see? What has changed? 

-How much have you accomplished, and grown as an individual, as a couple?

-Are you happy with the present picture in your mind? If so, congrats!! It’s a very gratifying feeling.

-If not, what are you going to do to change it?

Giveaway!

The wonderful Lauralee over at Shabby Life is sponsoring a giveaway for my Etsy shop! What's up for grabs?? ANY 8x10 professionally matted print in my The Inspired Lens Etsy shop! Check out the shop for all of the details on the photos and to pick your favorite!



More details on how to enter at Shabby Life!! Please show some love (and gain multiple entries) to win by following both of our blogs as well as checking out the merchandise you'd like to win!! Closed as of 8/4/11- winner announced at Shabby Life, you have one week to claim your prize!!