Cookin' with Whiskey

I recently had the opportunity to be a part of a special birthday.  All birthday's are special, but when you are turning 93 that is pretty awesome.  What is even better, is when you turn 93 you can pretty much do whatever you want for your birthday.  And if a big blow out party is what you want, a big blow out is what you get.

Our neighbor is a character in the neighborhood, everyone knows him and he knows everyone.  He often puts in requests for the "young guys" to have fire pits so he can join them and have an excuse for a shot or two of Crown Royal.  It is known throughout the neighborhood that he has a love for the Crown, so it wasn't a surprise when his daughter asked if I could make a Crown Royal cake for his birthday.

The cake was a chocolate and vanilla layer and  was super easy to do, although my icing marbled when I applied it, which was super annoying.  Since the cake wasn't very exciting I decided to do something that the birthday boy might appreciate a little bit more - Irish Car Bomb cupcakes.  Now I'm not a big fan of the name, but the drink is fun and the cupcake is fabulous.

 I have made Stout cupcakes in the past and they good.  The stout is a perfect pairing with the chocolate, but you add a little whiskey and Bailey's and these cupcakes become great.  They are a wonderful addition to a 93rd birthday celebration, a St. Patrick's day party or anytime some special adult only treats are needed.

Stout Cupcakes (Courtesy of Jami Schmidt)

3/4 cup of unsweetened coca plus more for dusting at the end
2 cups sugar
2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
Pinch of fine salt
1 bottle of Guinness (room temperature)
1 stick melted butter (cooled slightly)
1 tbs Pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 24 cupcake tins with liners
Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl. In another mixing bowl combine stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream until combined and smooth. Gradually add in the dry.

 Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating half way through  

Whiskey Ganache
8 oz. dark chocolate (chips or finely chopped)
2/3 cup milk 
2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. Whiskey

Place chocolate in small bowl.  In small saucepan heat milk over medium high heat, bring to a simmer.  Pour milk over chocolate, let sit for 1-2 minutes then stir until smooth. Add butter and whiskey, stir until smooth and combined.  Let ganache cool and thicken. 

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting (Courtesy Martha Stewart)
3 sticks unsalted, room temp butter
4 C. powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur


In mixing bowl cream butter until smooth.  Slowly add powder sugar, scraping down the sides as needed.  Beat for 3-4 until frosting is light and fluffy.  Add Bailey's, mix for another 3-4 minutes making a light and creamy frosting.  

Cupcake assembly:  Once cooled remove center of cupcake using the bottom of a large pastry tip.  Fill with ganache.  Once all cupcakes are filled top with Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting.  

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Stout Cupcakes

St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays where I always have great plans for making fun yummy treats and then never get around to doing anything.  This year I had plans for Irish Soda bread and shamrock sugar cookies, both easy yet I never got around to making them.  Part of the reason I didn't get to them was I became distracted by these Stout cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream.  I remember seeing the recipe last year and wanted to make them, but never got around to it, so this year I put everything else aside and decided to focus on the adult desserts and let the kids fend for themselves.  And oh it was such a good decision.
I have made the Bailey's buttercream before and it is just mouthwatering.  I could eat a bowl of it by myself, in fact it is a pretty good snack when slathered on a graham cracker.
I hadn't done the cupcakes before, but am glad I gave them a try, they will definitely be added to the collection.  I did have a little problem when mixing the liquid ingredients together, I didn't bring the beer up to room temperature before adding it to the melted butter which caused the butter to solidify in weird clumps.  I poured the beer butter mixture through a sieve and remelted the butter, but it was still clumpy and the cupcakes had small hard pieces.  Which while not awful definitely messed up the texture.
This recipe makes a lot of cupcakes, I made two dozen large ones and another two and half dozen small ones.  When I make them again I will do even more small ones.  The ratio of buttercream to cake was perfect.  In fact I think I will add them to my mini dessert options.

Stout Cupcakes

Courtesy of Jami Schmidt and 

 

3/4 cup of unsweetened coca plus more for dusting at the end
2 cups sugar
2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
Pinch of fine salt
1 bottle of Guinness (room temperature)
1 stick melted butter (cooled slightly)
1 tbs Pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cups sour cream

Preheat to 350
Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl
In another mixing bowl combine stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream until combined and smooth. Gradually add in the dry.

 Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating half way through  

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting
Courtesy Martha Stewart
3 sticks unsalted, room temp butter
4 C. powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cream butter until smooth.  Slowly add in powdered sugar, scraping down the sides as needed.  Add Bailey's and vanilla and beat until combined and smooth.