This is a reblog of a post I wrote on the 12th March 2011. To see the orginal post and comments, click here
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5 DAYS TO GET YOUR IRISH ON . . .
I've made these for the past 5 years now so I thought they were appropriate for our 5 day countdown to St Paddy's Day! (I make a Tirimasu version too which is pretty darn tasty but these little gems win the day on the 17th - YUM!)
Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1/3 cup butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
Baileys ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Baileys Irish cream
Baileys butter cream frosting:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey's Irish cream
Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line your cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Combine the Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the Guinness-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the ganache filling
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Add the butter and Baileys and stir until combined.
Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. 
Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes
To make the frosting
place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Baileys until smooth.
Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes as desired. Now, you can get your Irish on!
Previous in the Series:
14 Days to St Paddy's - The Shamrock Shake
13 Days to St Paddy's - Irish Wheaten Bread
12 Days to St Paddy's - Potato and Cabbage Soup
11 Days to St Paddy's - Pot Roast with Guinness Gravy
10 Days to St Paddy's - 10 Facts about Guinness
9 Days to St Paddy's - 9 Irish Toasts
8 DAYS TO ST PADDY'S DAY - TOP 8 IRISH NAMES
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