Happy Early St. Patty's Day!!!

I keep starting to write this post but I can't seem to figure out what to say...Should I relate my comical trek to the liquor store during my lunch hour? Complain that these are the most expensive cupcakes I've ever made? Admit, albeit embarrassingly, that I have fallen for the cupcake trend? Tell some of my St. Patrick's Day stories, much to my parents' displeasure? Or maybe I should let the cupcakes speak for themselves...

When I saw Charcuterista's post on Guinness Cakelettes, I thought that they would be perfect to turn into car bomb cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day. For a Car Bomb, you layer a shot with Irish Cream and Irish Whiskey, drop it into a pint of Guinness and chug it. You have to do it quickly or the cream will curdle. Along with green beer, Car Bombs are a common drink in many bars across the US on St. Patty's Day. Often it is turned into a contest, as everyone competes to be the first one to finish chugging. Although it sounds very intense (and a bit stupid), the three flavors mix very well together (not that I've ever tried it or anything). So, I made these cupcakes, as a fun take on this American St. Patty's Day tradition. I would take the cupcakes over the drink any day. They were delicious! My roommates liked my creations so much that I think they may have forgiven me for getting chocolate everywhere!

I am entering these into Emiline's St. Paddy's Day Pub Crawl Event in which your dish must use booze in some way. I also wanted to dedicate these in honor of my friend, Ridgie, who would love them.




St. Patty's Day Car Bomb Cupcakes

Guinness Cupcakes
(adapted from Dave Lieberman's recipe)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch fine salt
1 bottle Guinness (minus a few sips!)
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at time.
4. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
5. Lightly grease 24 muffin tins (or 12 muffin tins and one 8 inch cake pan). Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender (the cake took about 35 minutes). Cool before turning out.

Irish Cream Whipped Cream
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

1 cup whip cream
4 tablespoon confectioner sugar
2 tablespoon Irish Cream Liquor

1. Put bowl and beaters in the freezer for about an hour before making the whip cream.
2. Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and on low speed, mix the ingredients together.
3. Once the confectioner sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to high until the cream becomes whipped into soft peaks.

Chocolate Whiskey Glaze
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup milk
6 tablespoon butter, cut into chunks
2 tablespoon Irish Whiskey
1/2 cup confectioner sugar

1. On low in a saucepan, melt the chocolate and milk together.
2. Remove from heat, stir in butter.
3. Stir in Irish Whiskey.
4. Whisk in confectioner sugar (add more if you need to thicken the glaze a little bit more).

To put together the cupcakes:

1. Using a knife, cut out a small bit of cupcake out of the center.
2. Fill the hole with a little bit of whipped cream.
3. Cover with the chocolate glaze.
4. Sprinkle with green crystals or decorate as you wish! Enjoy!


P.S. What did I do with that cake? I made a small shamrock! I dyed the leftover Irish Cream Whipped Cream with green food coloring and using a heart cookie cutter made the leaves. I also made a third "dish" with the rest of the leftover pieces of cake, whipped cream and glaze. I layered them in a glass dish to make a tortish kind of thing. Does not look pretty, hence no pictures, but tastes really good! Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!