{Day 8} 12 Days of Cupcakes - Guiness Chocolate Cupcakes with Baileys Buttercream Frosting

These Guiness Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream were a hit with my 'test panel' when I made them earlier in the year.  I hailed them as the THEE best cupcakes evah.  So, for today's cupcake I wanted to revisit my favorite cupcake and share my updated recipe with you. 

Guiness Chocolate Cupcakes
with Bailey's Buttercream
Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup Guiness Stout
2 Sticks (1 Cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Hershey's)
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling 
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp. Jameson Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (see Recipe Notes)
3 to 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 stick unsalted butter - room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

To make the cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Melt butter with the beer in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth; allow sauce to cool slightly.

3. Whisk  flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

4.  In a mixer bowl, blend eggs and sour cream on medium speed; beat in the cooled cocoa sauce until combined.

5. Beat in flour mixture until slightly combined.  Then fold the batter to completely combine the ingredients.

6 . Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 17 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To  make ganache filling:
1. Place chopped chocolate a large glass bowl.

2. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a simmer. 

3. Remove from heat and immediately pour over chocolate pieces and stir until completely mixed and glossy in apperance; stir in butter and whiskey until combined. 

4. Set aside to allow ganache to set (thicken)  and cool completely.  (Ganache should be soft enough to pipe into the cupcake)

Fill the cupcakes:
1.Hollow out the center of the cupcake using a mini ice cream scooper, melon baller or apple corer - a sharp paring knife works fine as well.  Discard (aka eat) the leftover cake bits.

2. Fill a piping bag with the ganache and snip off about 1/2" from the tip and fill each hole in the cupcakes to the top. You can spoon the filling into the cakes, as well.

To make the frosting:
1. Whip butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. 

2. Gradually add confectioner's sugar - (adding about a tablespoon at a time lends to a very nice texture)

3. Once butter becomes thick and stiffend, slowly add in the Bailey's.

4. Continue whipping frosting until combined.  Frost cupcakes as desired.