My recent baking festival included my second attempt at baking Guinness cupcakes (and was the second time I dumped more than half a container of Guinness down the sink because the recipe only called for half, and I don’t drink). At least, as I said at the time, the sink was not sassing me.

Having tried this twice (pics of the first Guinness cupcake attempt here) and found the recipe wholly uncooperative, I am going to find a different recipe solution. I will nevertheless the share the recipe I used – maybe someone else can get it to work. I tried different baking temperatures and filled the cupcake cups less full. But the middle of the cake collapses no matter what I do. The end result is sticky and wet – not ideal under any circumstances, but the original recipe from which I adapted mine was one that apparently bakes up with a fair amount of solidity because it demands that the baker scoop out the middle of the cupcake and fill it with whiskey-chocolate ganache filling! I would love to do that (not only will I fatten everyone up — I will intoxicate them!), but I will need to achieve the right cupcake consistency to make this happen.

Recipe (not recommended)
1/2 cup Guinness (or other stout)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/8 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Melt the butter and add the Guinness and cocoa. Stir well. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together and add the egg and sour cream. Once this is mixed, add the chocolate-Guinness mix. Stir well.
Put the batter into cupcake papers to about 3/4 full.
Bake 15 to 17 minutes.
Cool completely when done.

For frosting, I always make Swiss meringue buttercream for these (and most other cupcakes). It is slightly more work, but the results are … much silkier.

I have included the Swiss meringue recipe in my blog before, but for good measure, here it is again:

Baileys Swiss meringue
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons Baileys

Mix the egg white and the sugar over a double boiler. The sugar should be completely dissolved when you remove it from heat. Pour the mixture into a large bowl (preferably the mixing bowl of a stand mixer — Swiss meringue is mixing intensive, so a stand mixer works best). Whisk on high speed until stiff but still wet peaks form. Continue to beat for about five or six minutes after these peaks form.

Switch to the paddle attachment and turn the speed to medium low. Add the butter in one or two tablespoons/pieces at a time. The mixture might start to look lumpy and curdled. Don’t worry. Keep mixing. When things start to come together, beat in the flavoring (in this case, the Baileys) and keep beating for another two minutes. It might take some time to get to the right texture. You will know when it comes together in a solid, fluffy, frosting-like consistency.