Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Frosting

Sure, I made some cupcakes last night… So what?! Cupcakes are awesome! I took 5 cupcakes from the Carrot Cupcake batch to our apartment complex to say ‘thank you’ for all they do! I want to take some to my mother-in-law and my grandmother-in-law, and I might just do that! I met up with my sister, niece, and a friend at the local swap-meet for some shopping, then they came over for some Wii games and baking. We made the Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheese Frosting, from here. A friend of mine gave me the link, and I’ve made two of the recipes from here and so far, so good! I topped my cupcakes with Pampered Chef Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle, which added a bit of flare and a good taste and texture. If you would like to BUY some of the cinnamon sprinkles, you can buy them here! It’s definitely a recipe I’ll use again, but I learned a little something about frosting: ALWAYS MAKE MORE! I need to double or do a 1 ½ batch of frosting.

Cupcakes 

Information: 
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 20-24 cupcakes

Ingredients: 
2 C unbleached all purpose flour
½ C Dutch processed cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 C granulated sugar
½ C light or dark brown sugar
½ C unsalted softened butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg
½ C sour cream
12 oz Guinness beer

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter or line with paper cups 2 12 count muffin tins.

2. In a large bowl briefly whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Mix the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add one egg and beat until evenly mixed and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl if necessary. Add the second egg and vanilla extract and beat again until light and fluffy.

5. Add the sour cream and beat in, then with the mixer running, slowly pour in the Guinness.

6. Slowly add the flour mixture into the batter until it is evenly mixed and there are no streaks of flour. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl to incorporate any clumps of the flour mixture.

7. Fill each cupcake liner to ½ to ¾ full.

8. Bake at 350°F on the middle rack for 20 – 25 minutes, so that a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

9. ****Make sure to rotate the pans halfway through baking. Set on a rack to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Frosting

Information: 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Makes: Not really enough (I should have done a 1 ½ batch)

Ingredients: 
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
2 C confectioner’s sugar
6 Tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish Cream

Directions: 
1. Mix the cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly drizzle in the Bailey’s until completely incorporated into the frosting.