Irish Death Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Frosting

Every now and then I receive an email that I feel must be shared with the world. A fan of Irish Death and pastry chef extraordinaire, Heidi Shannon, sent such an email. And by email, I mean an image of these super delicious looking Irish Death Cupcakes. Immediately, I asked if she would be willing to share this recipe with the broader world. Fortunately, for all of us, she obliged.

Since St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and you might be looking for a dessert to complement these recipes, now seemed like the perfect time to inspire your pastry chef goals, with these Irish Death Chocolate Cupcakes.

I asked Heidi if we can link to her website, social or anything else. This is what she said.

I don’t actually have any websites. I’m a pastry chef for a private school, but its a pleasure to get to share some great treats and I love using Irish Death over Guinness. I think it gives better flavors.  I’ll look forward to reading your blog post 🙂
– Heidi

Thank you for sharing this recipe Heidi.

I challenge all of you reading this to make this (or the vegan version – Yeah!, she sent that one too!) and post it on social media. #irishdeathcupcakes #thankschefheidi

Irish Death Chocolate Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Frosting

Yield: 24 Cupcakes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup Irish Death beer. (Buy Beer Online here)
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
1 Tablespoon dry espresso powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs large, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting:
1 stick butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3-4 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey (I used Powers or Bushmills)

Instructions

To Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tin by adding cupcake liners.

In a medium saucepan on low heat, combine beer and butter and keep on low until butter dissolves.

Once butter is melted, slowly whisk in sugar, cocoa and espresso until they have completely dissolved.

Set mixture aside and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes (room temperature is fine but no hotter).

In the meantime, sift together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, then set aside.

Mix together sour cream, vanilla, and eggs. Beat on low until combined then slowly blend the chocolate into the sour cream and eggs, keeping mixer speed on low.

Add flour one cup at a time and mix on medium speed until well blended but do not overmix.

Pour cupcake mixture into the prepared cupcake lines to about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick insert into the middle comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To Make the Frosting:

Cream the softened butter in the bowl of a mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.

Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the Irish Whiskey one Tablespoon at a time and combine thoroughly. If necessary add a bit more powdered sugar for correct consistency.

Spread on cupcakes with a knife or offset spatula or pipe using a piping bag and tip. Let the frosting set up a bit before drizzling with the Bailey’s drizzle.
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Do you have a “food made with Iron Horse Brewery beer” recipe you’d like to share? Email jared@ironhorsebrewery.com and let us know.