Description
These Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes combine rich Irish stout chocolate cupcakes with a decadent Irish whiskey caramel mousse filling and a festive Bailey’s whipped buttercream frosting, perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or any special occasion with a boozy twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Irish Stout Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- 6 ounces stout beer, room temperature
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream
Irish Whiskey Caramel Mousse Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup heavy cream, heated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
Bailey’s Whipped Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup Irish Cream liqueur
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Red & yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcake Batter: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard cupcake trays with paper liners and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and espresso powder until combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat stout beer, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, eggs, and sour cream until well combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in thirds, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing the batter.
- Bake Cupcakes: Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full with batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Caramel Sauce: In a microwave-safe container, whisk sugar, light corn syrup, water, and lemon juice until combined. Microwave on high for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture turns pale golden, being careful to not burn it. Let it sit 3-5 minutes until deep amber color forms.
- Add Cream to Caramel: Slowly add heated heavy cream in small increments to the caramel, whisking continuously to prevent overflow and to incorporate smoothly. Stir in vanilla extract, softened butter, and Irish whiskey. Set aside to cool in the refrigerator for about 1 hour until thick but stirrable.
- Make Caramel Mousse: Whip cold heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer using a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into the cooled caramel sauce in three additions to create a mousse.
- Fill Cupcakes: Use a sharp, pointed knife to cut a cone-shaped hole about halfway into the center of each cooled cupcake, being careful not to pierce the bottom or sides. Spoon caramel mousse into a pastry bag and fill each cupcake cavity with the mousse.
- Prepare Buttercream: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3-4 minutes. On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated.
- Flavor and Color Buttercream: Add Irish Cream liqueur, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of kosher salt to the buttercream. Beat until fluffy. Divide the frosting into three bowls: leave one white, color one yellow with yellow food coloring, and color the third with a mix of red and yellow to create orange.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Fill piping bags with each color and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes in a circular motion, layering yellow first, then orange, and topping with white to achieve a candy corn effect.
Notes
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting to prevent melting.
- Use room temperature ingredients to help the batter mix smoothly.
- When making caramel, watch closely to avoid burning; microwave times may vary.
- For a non-alcoholic version, substitute Irish whiskey and Irish cream with vanilla extract and milk respectively.
- Use a sharp, small knife to carve out the cupcake holes neatly for filling.
- If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, you can substitute with vanilla extract.
- Store filled and frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
