Description
Delight in these festive Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes featuring moist Irish stout chocolate cupcakes filled with a rich Irish whiskey caramel mousse and topped with colorful Bailey’s whipped buttercream frosting. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any celebration needing a boozy twist on a classic treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Irish Stout Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- 6 ounces stout beer, room temperature
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream
Irish Whiskey Caramel Mousse Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup heavy cream, heated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
Bailey’s Whipped Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup Irish Cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Red & yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcake Batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard cupcake trays with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and espresso powder until combined.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine stout beer, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, eggs, and sour cream, beating until smooth.
- Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients one third at a time, mixing until just combined.
- Bake Cupcakes: Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Caramel Sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice. Microwave on high for 8 minutes until pale golden. Let sit 3-5 minutes until deep amber.
- Add Cream and Flavorings: Slowly whisk heated cream into caramel to prevent overflow until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract, softened butter, and Irish whiskey. Refrigerate caramel covered until cool but stirrable, about 1 hour.
- Whip Cream: Whip cold heavy cream in a stand mixer until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into caramel sauce in three additions to create mousse.
- Fill Cupcakes: Using a sharp knife, cut a cone-shaped hole halfway into each cupcake without piercing bottom or sides. Spoon mousse into a pastry bag and fill each cupcake with caramel mousse.
- Make Buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3-4 minutes. On low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated.
- Add Flavor and Color: Mix in Irish cream, vanilla bean paste, and salt; beat until fluffy. Divide frosting into three bowls. Leave one plain, tint one with yellow food coloring, and another with red and yellow for orange color.
- Pipe Frosting: Fill piping bags with colored frostings. Pipe on cupcakes in circular layers starting with yellow, then orange, and finish with white to create a candy corn effect.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients help create a smoother batter and frosting.
- Be careful not to let the caramel overcook or burn; watch color closely.
- If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract can be substituted.
- Use a sharp knife for clean cone-shaped holes in cupcakes to hold mousse nicely.
- For a non-alcoholic version, substitute Irish cream and whiskey with extracts or omit entirely.
- Store cupcakes refrigerated due to cream cheese and whipped cream components.
- Let cupcakes come to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
