Frosted Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes are the perfect cupcakes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with. Soft, moist and rich, they are made with chocolate and Guinness, topped with a delicious green Swiss Meringue Buttercream and finished with green sprinkles! So fun!
These chocolate cupcakes just like the Simple Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes are easy to make and so soft! It’s a fun twist on the regular chocolate cupcake and it’s a perfect dessert to serve on this popular Irish festivity.
The Guinness is added to a bowl with the butter and melted together. The stout gives the cupcake batter a deeper and richer flavor, which combined with the chocolate intensifies and contrasts the sweetness of the Swiss meringue buttercream.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
- They are fun: these cupcakes are not only delicious, but also fun to make and even more to decorate. They call for green frosting and sprinkles so decorating them can become a whole family experience.
- They are child friendly: It’s true, these cupcakes call for Guinness beer which contains alcohol, but the alcohol evaporates firstly when melted together with the butter and then when baked in the oven, so what’s left is a minimal percentage and just the wonderful and rich flavor we wanted all along.
- The perfect party dessert: These cupcakes are also the perfect dessert to bring to a party as a guest. Imagine being on dessert duty for a potluck. Your friends would be not only impressed by how adorable your cupcakes are, but even more excited by the Guinness chocolate flavor of your cupcakes! You definitely understood the assignment!
Ingredients Needed for the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes call for Guinness beer, cocoa powder and greek yogurt plus a few staple cupcake ingredients. It’s an easy and quick batter that will become a favorite in the house! I know, because it’s already become one in mine!
- Guinness Stout: Beer contains yeast which can help the rising of baked goods. Beer also makes cakes light and soft. Guinness adds a rich flavor to the cake batter.
- Butter: helps make cakes and baked goods more tender, rich and structured.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Gives a deep chocolate flavor to the cupcakes.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar helps keep the cupcakes soft and moist. The sugar combined with the liquid locks in moisture so that the cupcakes won’t dry out too quickly.
- Greek Yogurt: Makes the cupcakes nice and moist. It’s a good substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise or heavy cream.
- Egg: Provides structure, color and flavor to the cupcakes.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor and helps bring out other ingredients’ flavors.
- Cake or Pastry Flour: The perfect flour to bake cakes and cupcakes. It has a less amount of protein compared to All Purpose flour and Bread flour making for lighter and flakier batters.
- Baking Soda: The leavening agent of choice. Helps the cupcakes rise and become light and fluffy.
How to Make these Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
In a medium bowl add the butter and Guinness and place them on a pot over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Add the cocoa powder and sugar to the bowl and whisk everything together.
In a small bowl mix together the greek yogurt, egg and vanilla.
Add the egg mix to the Guinness mixture then add flour and baking soda and whisk everything together until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack completely before decorating them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Enjoy!
Substitutions for Stout Beer in Chocolate Cupcakes
If the idea of adding stout to your chocolate cupcakes doesn’t appeal to you, you can substitute it for these:
- Caramel or Brewed Coffee: They’re great substitutions for Guinness since they give the cupcake a similar deep flavor. If using caramel, add 1 tablespoon for every 1/2 cup of stout, if using coffee, add 1 cup for every 1 cup of stout.
- Buttermilk: It has a slight tangy taste and helps make the cupcakes softer and tender. You can make your own buttermilk at home by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Stir the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes before using it.
- Port Wine: It’s a wonderful addition to your chocolate cake or cupcake batter. It adds a deep and smooth taste.
How do You Keep Cupcakes Soft and Moist?
To make sure your cupcakes are always soft and moist you can follow these steps.
Use full fat ingredients: Whole milk instead of fat, heavy or whipping cream instead of milk, butter instead of margarine.
Add Baking Soda: It’s a great leavening agent and makes exceptionally moist and soft cupcakes!
Use Cake or Pastry Flour instead of All Purpose Flour: It contains less protein so that the cakes and cupcakes have less gluten growth and are softer and fluffier when they come out of the oven.
Let the cupcakes cool completely: Make sure to let them cool completely before placing in an airtight container. You don’t want the tops of the cupcakes to become sticky!
Store the cupcakes are room temperature: Storing the cupcakes at room temperature will keep them moist and soft for longer. Storing them in the fridge will dry them out a bit, but after frosting them you can store them in the fridge and then let them come back to room temperature before serving them. Cupcakes are best consumed within 2 days. After that they will start drying out.
How to Make Green Swiss Meringue Buttercream
I decorated these Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with a Green Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I use my go-to Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe.
When the buttercream is whipped and ready to be used, transfer it into a bowl and add green food coloring to it. Mix gently, you don’t want to beat too much air out of your buttercream. Mix with a spatula and add as many drops of food coloring you need to reach your desired shade of green.
How to Store and Freeze Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They will be good on the kitchen counter for 2 days, if frosted refrigerate.
You can also freeze these cupcakes, but I recommend doing so before frosting them. Let them cool completely, then place in an airtight container and freeze or place on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm then move to a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for about 2-3 months.
Are you ready to celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day?
More Cupcake Recipes
Frosted Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup Guinnes stout
- 5 tablespoons Butter – unsalted softened
- 6 tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder – sifted
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons Greek Yogurt – plain
- 1 large Egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Cake or Pastry flour – sifted
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Baking soda
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl add the butter and Guinness and place them on a pot over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Remove the bowl from the heat. Add cocoa powder and sugar to the bowl and whisk everything together.
- In a small bowl mix together the greek yogurt, egg and vanilla. Add the egg mix to the Guinness mixture then add flour and baking soda and whisk together until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack completely before decorating them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Today is Taste Creations Week! Please check out these other delicious Cocktail Recipes from my Food Blogger Friends.
- Terri from Our Good Life – Oven Roasted Pancetta Brussels Sprouts
- Nikki from Tikkido – Forest Moss Cake
- Lauren from Mom Home Guide –Shamrock Matcha Cake
These look fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Lauren! 🙂