Boozy Chocolate Bomb Cupcakes

Having an all grown-up Halloween or fall-themed party this season? Jazz it up with a classic Irish trio in one of these Boozy Chocolate Bomb Cupcakes!

Guys. These cupcakes are not for the kiddos.

Traditionally, Halloween is all about them, from the coolest superhero to the prettiest princess to the best candy haul (parent tax? I think so).

But these Boozy Chocolate Bomb Cupcakes? These are only for the grown-ups! 

You start with a dark chocolate Irish Stout cupcake.

I know. It’s been done.

Just hang with me a sec.

Because a wonderful, close friend of mine is getting married this Saturday, and I’ve been given the honor of being her cake creator.

Full. Creative. Control. She told me to just go wild.

That freedom, paired with what I know about what she and her hubby-to-be love, brought me to this.

She’s a sucker for Guinness (just like me!), and she’s had her fair share of car bombs (though they didn’t all end well).

Car bombs are normally made with three ingredients: Irish stout, Irish whiskey, and Irish cream.

It would seem I made these for the wrong holiday. Roll with it.

These are good any time of the year. Why should Irish liquor only get one day to celebrate?!

I decided to sweeten up the whiskey in a caramel filling, making two variations that the bride and groom both loved (not pictured is simply the whiskey caramel filling instead of the mousse).

Tell you what. Whiskey and caramel together are a pretty fantastic combination.

(I won that cute little owl candle holder playing bridal bingo at her shower, by the way.)

Then, you top it all off with a fluffy Irish cream buttercream. With a wee bit (watch out for falling intentional puns) of cream cheese blended in.

Because all icing tastes better with cream cheese.

I have to say, I feel that this combination of liquors ultimately taste much better as a dessert.

Why risk ruining a perfectly good beer with curdled Irish cream?

Besides, I’ve personally never really been one for whiskey.

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Now bourbon is a different story. And a different recipe.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Having an all grown-up Halloween or fall-themed party this season? Jazz it up with a classic Irish trio in one of these Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Irish

Keyword: Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 cupcakes

Calories: 486kcal

Author: Erica

Ingredients

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

Irish Stout Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt and espresso powder together and whisk to combine; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine beer, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, eggs and sour cream, beating until combined.
• Add in flour mixture ⅓ at a time until just combined.
• Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes cool 5 minutes in pans, then set on wire rack to finish cooling.

Irish Whiskey Caramel Mousse Filling

• Whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice in a microwave-safe measuring cup or glass bowl until combined.
• Microwave on high 5 to 8 minutes, until the mixture begins to turn a pale golden color, being careful not to let it get too dark and burn.
• Remove measuring cup from microwave; let it sit for 3-5 minutes.
• When the mixture turns a deep amber color, add a tablespoon of the heated cream, immediately whisking to combine and to keep it from overflowing. Continuously add the cream slowly in small amounts until it is incorporated.
• Add vanilla, butter, and whiskey, and whisk to combine.
• Pour caramel into a medium sized mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until sauce is cool but stirrable, about an hour.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.
• Fold whipped cream into caramel sauce in 3 additions.
• Insert a sharp-tipped knife about halfway into the cupcake, cutting a cone shape out of each one, being sure not to pierce sides or bottom.
• Spoon caramel mousse into pastry bag and fill each cupcake.

Bailey's Whipped Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese on medium high speed until creamy, 3-4 minutes.
• With mixer on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
• Once powdered sugar is incorporated, add Irish cream, vanilla bean paste and salt. Beat together until fluffy.
• Separate icing into three small bowls. Set one bowl aside (white), while adding drops of yellow food coloring to one bowl and drops of red & yellow (orange) to the third bowl. Mix coloring into icing, adding drops until you reach your desired color.
• Add frosting to piping bags and pipe on cupcakes in circular motion, first using yellow, then orange, and topping it off with white to create a candy corn effect.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 95mg | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 655IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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What is your favorite part of Halloween as an adult?