Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

It’s time for another baked goods blog post! Summer came and went by quickly and by the time I was done baking the Summer Berry Cake from my last post, it was time to bake these insanely delicious chocolate stout cupcakes; perfect to warm your soul during the cool fall weather.  They have a double dose of chocolate (and probably could use more) and have a rich and deep chocolatey flavor that is only enhanced by the addition of the Guinness stout. I’ve made this as a bundt cake before but this was my first time trying them out as cupcakes. I was worried that they would dry out too quickly but I am happy to report that they retain their moistness and softness even in cupcake form. And they’re cuter to boot! The chocolate ganache just adds an extra layer of decadence that is simply required. You could even consider piping in some chocolate ganache into the cupcakes and topping it off with an Irish cream buttercream frosting if you like. Over the top? No.  I even experimented with adding some heath bar chips into the mini cupcakes while baking them. I think next time, they may work better if sprinkled on top of the ganache. There are simply endless ways to customize this indulgent cupcake!

My attempt to be conservative and not overfill the regular-sized cupcake molds left me with enough batter to make eight mini cupcakes. They were the perfect bite of cupcake and ganache! Thankfully, there were only eight or else I could have proabably gobbled up twenty of those cute little cupcakes!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

 

Mmm…Guinness

 

Regular and mini cupcakes!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 17 minutes
Yield: 24 cupcakes (+ leftover batter for 8 mini cupcakes!)

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules (Folgers works well!)

 

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 24 cupcake cups with liners. This recipe has enough batter leftover for 1-1.5 additional cupcakes or 8 mini cupcakes.

2) In a saucepan, bring butter and stout to a slow simmer, allowing the butter to melt completely. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder till the mixture is smooth. Allow this to cool for 5-10 minutes as you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Mmm…butter and Guinness!

Chocolatey goodness

Make the cupcakes:

3) In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt thoroughly.

4) In a separate bowl, combine eggs and sour cream with an electric beater till they are light and fluffy.

5) To the eggs and sour cream, slowly beat in the stout-chocolate mixture.

6) Add in the dry ingredients and beat till just combined after which gently fold with a rubber spatula till all the ingredients are properly mixed.

7) Using an ice-cream or cookie scoop, spoon the batter into the cupcake molds, filling 2/3 of the way up.

Cupcakes ready to go into the oven

8) Bake cake until a wooden skewer or cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Cupcakes cooling

Make the ganache:

1) To make the ganache, melt chocolate, heavy cream and coffee using a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth and warm, stirring continuously.

2) To glaze the cupcakes, dip cooled cupcakes into the ganache, letting the excess ganache drip back into the bowl.

3) Let ganache set and enjoy the cupcakes! The cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to a day (but they probably will be long gone before then!)

Dipping cupcakes in ganache

Ganache glazed cupcakes

Drizzle more ganache if you want!