Description
These Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes feature rich Irish stout cupcakes filled with creamy Irish whiskey caramel mousse and topped with a festive Bailey’s whipped buttercream in candy corn colors. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any celebration, these moist, boozy cupcakes combine bold flavors with indulgent textures for a truly unique dessert experience.
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 oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard cupcake trays with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
- 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 well combined; set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together stout beer, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla bean paste, eggs, and sour cream until combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture in three additions to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined; do not overmix.
- Fill cupcake liners and bake: Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make caramel sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice. Microwave on high for 5 to 8 minutes, watching carefully until the mixture turns a pale golden color; avoid burning.
- Cool caramel slightly: Remove the caramel from the microwave and let it sit for 3-5 minutes until it deepens to an amber color.
- Incorporate cream: Add a tablespoon of heated cream to the caramel and whisk immediately to prevent overflow. Slowly add the remaining heated cream in small amounts, whisking continuously until fully incorporated.
- Add flavorings to caramel: Stir in vanilla extract, softened butter, and Irish whiskey until well combined.
- Chill caramel: Transfer the caramel into a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool but still stirrable, about 1 hour.
- Whip heavy cream: Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks.
- Fold cream into caramel: Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled caramel sauce in three portions to create a mousse filling.
- Core cupcakes: Using a sharp, pointed knife, insert about halfway into each cupcake and cut a cone-shaped piece out without piercing the sides or bottom.
- Fill cupcakes with mousse: Spoon the caramel mousse into a pastry bag and fill each cupcake cavity with the mousse.
- Prepare Bailey’s buttercream: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar: On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated.
- Add flavorings and salt: Beat in Irish Cream, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of kosher salt until the buttercream is fluffy.
- Divide and color icing: Separate the frosting evenly into three bowls. Leave one plain (white), add yellow food coloring to one bowl, and mix red and yellow food coloring in the third bowl to create orange. Adjust colors to desired shades.
- Pipe frosting: Place each colored frosting into separate piping bags. Pipe on cupcakes in circular motions starting with yellow at the base, orange in the middle, and white on top to mimic candy corn colors.
Notes
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before coring and filling to prevent crumbling.
- Be cautious when making caramel; sugar can burn quickly and cause burns.
- You can substitute any Irish stout beer you prefer to adjust flavor intensity.
- Ensure all refrigerated ingredients are at room temperature for best mixing results.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 27g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
