Irish Carbomb Cup Cakes

Well Deb over at Smitten Kitchen posted this Irish Carbomb Cup Cake recipe  she had made these for a friend.  Well KLT and I just LOVE IRISH CARBOMBS!!!  So of course I have to make these cup cakes.  Now I don’t want to ruin it for you but I was disappointed in the over all end product.  The cake part is great, the ganache is really wonderful and the Baileys Irish Cream frosting is AWESOME!  I just feel that the flavors are not evenly distributed enough.  KLT however likes the hidden surprise of ganache.  So what’s in store for Tammy?  I have 2 thoughts on this matter 1) try to incorporate this into a brownie and 2) make a bundt cake, cut across middle, make mote and stuff with frosting, replace and top cake with ganache — possible to just serve with a Baileys whipped cream on the side. 

So here it goes

The cupcake

1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
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

Bring  stout and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth and cool slightly. Blend  flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl, set aside. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. This made a really dark looking batter and it was thicker than a regular box mix.  Fill muffin cups and bake 350 degrees ~17 minutes.  Test with cake tester, done when it returns clean.

Once the cupcakes are cool you can start the ganache, but the ganache does need time to cool before putting into the cupcakes.  Ganache needs to be cool enough and firm enough to put into a pipping bag.

The ganache filling

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

Place chocolate into a heat proof bowl.  Heat cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate, stir until smooth.  Add butter an whisky stir until smooth. Let cool

Prepare the cupcakes for ganache.  Using an apple corer or small cookie cutter cut out the center leaving 1/3 of the cake in the bottom.  This is comical because if you have ever aerated your lawn these little plugs look familiar.

Here are my cupcakes some with the holes and others waiting their turn.

Once ganache and cupcakes have cooled it’s time to fill them.  Fill the hole with ganache with the aid of a pastry bag, don’t have one Sandra Lee says just a zip top plastic bag with the corner snipped off. 

Now you are ready for Frosting.  This frosting SMELLS very strong, taste wonderful but is not strong.  Just a warning if you were thinking about taking them to work. 

3 to 4 cups confections sugar (sift if using older bags of sugar, I don’t bother with new bags)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (believe me I went heavy)

Using your electric mixer is easiest, mix the butter and sugar until smooth drizzle in Baileys. 

Frost your cupcakes!!! Now enjoy!!!