Description
Indulge in the festive flavors of Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, featuring moist Irish stout cupcakes filled with a rich Irish whiskey caramel mousse and topped with a luscious Bailey’s whipped buttercream in a vibrant candy corn-inspired swirl. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any celebration, these cupcakes combine deep chocolate and stout notes with creamy, boozy delights.
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
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two standard cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners to be ready for batter.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and espresso powder until combined. Set this mix aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: Attach a paddle to your stand mixer and combine stout beer, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, eggs, and sour cream, beating until smooth and uniform.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in thirds, mixing gently until just incorporated to avoid overmixing.
- Fill and bake cupcakes: Spoon batter into liners filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare caramel mousse base: In a microwave-safe container, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice until combined. Microwave on high 5 to 8 minutes until pale golden, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Cook caramel and finish: Let the mixture sit 3-5 minutes until deep amber. Slowly whisk in heated heavy cream in small increments to prevent overflow. Then stir in vanilla extract, butter, and Irish whiskey until smooth.
- Chill caramel: Pour caramel into a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap touching the surface, and refrigerate until cool but still stirrable, about 1 hour.
- Whip caramel mousse: Whip cold heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer until soft peaks form, then fold gently into chilled caramel in three portions to create a light mousse.
- Fill cupcakes with mousse: Using a sharp knife, cut a cone-shaped cavity halfway into each cupcake without piercing the sides or bottom. Fill each cavity with the caramel mousse using a pastry bag.
- Make Bailey’s buttercream: Beat butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy (3-4 minutes). Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed.
- Add Irish cream and flavorings: Mix in Irish Cream, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of kosher salt until fluffy.
- Color the frosting: Divide buttercream into three portions. Leave one plain white, tint one with yellow food coloring, and tint the last with a mixture of red and yellow to create an orange shade, stirring until evenly colored.
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes: Using piping bags, pipe the yellow layer first in a circular motion, then add the orange layer on top, finishing with the white tip to mimic a candy corn effect.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing results.
- Watch the caramel closely while microwaving as it can burn quickly.
- Filling the cupcakes while they are cooled prevents mousse from melting.
- You can substitute Irish Cream with any coffee liqueur if preferred.
- Store cupcakes refrigerated due to cream filling and buttercream frosting.
- Bring cupcakes to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 31g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
