Super Bowl Cupcakes

For this year's Super Bowl, I decided to attempt Irish Car Bomb cupcakes. I've had a simplified version before, made from a Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix and without the bomb in the center. The whiskey/chocolate ganache really makes these cupcakes "da bomb". The cake itself loses most of the Guinness flavor after baking, but helps keep the cake rich and delicious. It also seems to keep the cake moist. I love the Irish cream in the butter frosting, it's quite potent.

This recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes. Bake at 350 for 18-20 min. cool completely before adding the filling.

Devil's food cake with stout
1 cup Guinness
1 cup butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
3 tsp Irish whiskey

Irish Cream Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 tbsp Bailey's Irish cream

Instructions

combine butter and stout over medium-low heat. Drink what's left in Guinness bottle while butter melts.




add cocoa powder, stir until well combined. remove from heat and cool slightly.




mix together eggs and sour cream. add chocolate mixture and beat until combined.


in a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients and add slowly to wet ingredients. fill baking cups 3/4 full.




after baking, remove from pan onto cooling rack. allow to cool completely before inserting filling.




when cooled, cut 1" round holes in tops of cupcakes, and cut about half way through the center of the cupcake.





to make filling, chop chocolate into small pieces. heat cream on stove until heated through (do not boil). pour over chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. add butter and whiskey and mix well. let cool slightly before filling pastry bag (use a wide tip attachment).



fill the holes in the cupcakes to the top.






allow ganache filling to set before frosting. make sure butter is at room temperature and beat for a few minutes until fluffy. add sugar slowly and mix until well combined. add Irish cream. frost cupcakes generously and enjoy!