Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

So, this weekend was boychild's birthday party (his birthday having been last Friday). We had the party at the Castle Rock Rec Center because their pool is pretty awesome and they have a great set-up for birthday parties. Part of their birthday package includes a store-bought cake. The kids love the cake but, if I'm being totally honest, they're pretty gross. So, I decided to make some cupcakes for the adults. I made these Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes and they were quite the hit. Read more for the recipe! Preparation: Put oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 325°F. Line cupcake wells with cupcake liner. Ingredients: Cupcakes:

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 1  cup brewed coffee
• 1 1/2 cup Guinness Extra Stout
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Irish Cream Buttercream and Whiskey Buttercream:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cubed
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened and cubed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons of Irish Cream
• 5-6 tablespoons Irish Whiskey (I prefer Jameson for this)

Instructions: Cupcakes:

1. Add coffee, Guinness, butter, and cocoa powder in a 3-quart heavy saucepan  and heat over medium,  whisking, until butter is melted. Remove from heat, and add sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Add flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine; set aside. Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk into cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly).  Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Irish Cream Buttercream and Whiskey Buttercream:

1. Place eggs and sugar in stand mixer bowl attach thermometer to bowl and then place bowl over simmering water.  Whisk mixture constantly until it comes to 150 degrees F. Remove bowl from heat and place back with stand mixer. Beat mixture on medium until it becomes glossy and shiny and stiff peaks begin to form, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add butter in a few pieces at a time and beat to combine after each addition. Mixture may look curdled half way through, but continue adding the butter and beating and the mixture will become smooth once more.
3. Split the frosting  by 25%/75%. Add Irish Cream to the 25% portioned frosting, stir to combine. Add Irish Whiskey to the 75% frosting batter, stir to combine.

Assembly:

1. Using a small paring knife, carve out a hole in a cone shape from the top of the cupcake for filling.
2. Cut the tips off of the cones (so that you can place the top of the cupcake back onto the cupcake, to seal in the buttercream).
3. Fill emptied well with Irish Cream buttecream.
4. Place top back onto the cupcake to seal in the Irish Cream Buttercream.
5. Top with Whiskey Buttercream.

Originally posted at Falling Into My Own Sarchasm and cross-posted here.