Mini Guiness Cupcakes

Nothing like an overload of sugary sweets to fill your weekend here at {So Wonderful, So Marvelous}.  I made these mini Guiness cupcakes for my husband's surprise 30th birthday beer tasting party.  They were a huge hit, they stayed very moist and they pack just enough of a Guiness punch without being overpowering.  Fair warning, we had many requests for the recipe and they are wholly addictive.  It has a Guiness cream cheese frosting as well to mimic the famous foam that tops a real Guiness.  They would be fantastic for a manly chocolate Valentine's treat and they couldn't be easier to make!

Guiness Cupcakes

12 oz. Guiness

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 TB of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

3 large eggs

dash cinnamon

pinch of salt {I used vanilla salt, but any would do.}

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder {use a good quality here, it makes a difference}

2 cups of sugar

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

- Combine Guiness, milk, oil, & vanilla in the bowl of your mixer.  Beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.  Then, mix in sour cream.

- Whisk together in a large bowl all dry ingrediants.  Gradually mix into the wet ingrediants.

- Butter {or use baking spray} mini muffin tins & add batter.  To make this super easy, you can fill a gallon size Ziploc with the batter and cut the corner off to fill the muffin tins.  I find this is much easier to control than trying to fill with a spoon.

- Bake 15 - 20 minutes for mini cupcakes, test with a toothpick. {Probably 25-30 minutes for normal size.}  Cool before turning out onto wire racks.

Guiness Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces of cream cheese, softenend

1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream

2-3 ounces of Guiness

1 pound of confectioners sugar

cinnamon for dusting

- Allow the cream cheese to sit out for at least 30 minutes to soften.  Do not microwave!

- Whip the cream cheese. 

- Beat in the heavy whipping cream & Guiness {start with the lowest amounts here}

- Slowly add the confectioners sugar and add more whipping cream & Guiness if needed for consistency.  It should be in between a stiff frosting and a thick glaze.  It should ooze a little to spread, but not drip down the cupcakes. Fill into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip & pipe on top of each cucake.

- Dust with a tiny bit of cinnamon.

Jump on over to Bake at 350 to see some other yummy alcohol inspired recipes!