Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

Yesterday was a baking day. I came to a realization in the morning that I hadn't baked once since my wedding a month ago. Not once! Coupled with this realization was the discovery of a leftover bottle of Guinness in the fridge. Thus was born my quest to conquer chocolate Guinness goodness. The husband was out of the house for the afternoon, so as I watched old episodes of Pushing Daisies, the best show ever, I concocted. (I'm thinking now that the show should have inspired me to make a pie... but that will have to wait until next time. Apple Gruyere here I come!)

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
Adapted from Simply Recipes

*I decided to make cupcakes instead of the recipe for cake here - I decided it would be easier to spread the love this way, instead of lugging a cake around with me to share.

1 cup stout or porter beer, such as Guinness
1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Cream cheese frosting
1 stick butter, room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract

First step: combine butter and beer. Heat both in a med saucepan until the butter is melted. Then add in cocoa and sugars and whisk together. At this point my kitchen already started to smell like the inside of a brownie. Take off the heat and let it come to room temperature.

While that cools, beat together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Combine this with the butter-beer mixture (unfortunately not the butterbeer of Hogsmeade) and whisk together.

In another bowl sift/whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this to the butter-beer mixture and whisk until it just comes together. Pour/spoon into the prepared pan or cupcake liners!

 For cupcakes, bake only for about 15-18 minutes. The recipe online called for the cake to cook 50-60 minutes... but my cupcakes were in the oven for 18 minutes before the toothpick tester came out clean.

While those are cookin', whip up a batch of delish cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together until super, super smooth. It's important that the cream cheese be room temperature or even after beating it there will be little hard-to-break-up chunks left. Then gradually add the powdered sugar until you reach your desired thickness or sweetness. I also added some of that unsweetened cocoa powder to balance the super sweetness of the powdered sugar.

Frost and enjoy!