Chocolate whiskey a-go-go cupcakes
6 Jan
Welcome to my first cupcake of 2012! I have some pretty exciting things planned for Cupcake Friday Project this year, so I wanted to start with a bang. Unfortunately, about a third of my taste testers are out in Sin City for work, so I knew my yield would be low. What to bake? I didn’t want them to miss out on some of the real show-stoppers I have up my sleeve.
Because the cupcakes I baked for New Year’s Eve–using the Snakebite cake recipe from Food52.com–turned out wonderfully (though the frosting was a real pip … more on that next week), I decided to bake them again for the group. The chocolate cake is made with 3/4 cup stout (I chose New Holland’s The Poet Oatmeal Stout), and instead of buttermilk, it uses sour cream. The result is rich, not-quite-so-dense, and intensely moist. According to Ray, this should be my base chocolate cake recipe, but I think I might need to conduct a blind taste test to be sure.
Once I decided on the cake recipe, there was the frosting to contend with. I queried my taste testers. I posted on Twitter. I got a lot of great answers … and didn’t use a single one. I didn’t want it to be tame, so when I finally settled on swirling vanilla with a chocolate whiskey buttercream, I knew I’d have enough pizazz to start 2012 off right.
To achieve the two-tone effect, I used the same technique from Le Bleu Royale cupcakes I created for the Cupcake Smash competition. It’s a tricky technique, and because I had my piping bags pretty full, I wasn’t able to execute it exactly as planned. Some cupcakes have more vanilla, while some have way more chocolate. Something to learn from.
While Mike, Kyle and Kate are out in Vegas–land of lights, showgirls and anything goes–on the East Coast we’ll be toasting them with some showgirl cupcakes of our own.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line cupcake pans with papers.
Combine dry ingredients; set aside.
Mix sour cream and sugar until combined. Add egg.
Combine the stout and melted butter and whisk to blend.
Slowly pour into the sour cream mixture.
Spoon in dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full.
Bake for about 20 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
For the chocolate whiskey frosting, beat the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy.
Add 1 cup of sugar gradually, beating until combined.
Add the melted chocolate, whiskey and cream, then add the remaining sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Set aside.
For the vanilla frosting, beat the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy.
Add 1 cup of sugar gradually, beating until combined.
Add the vanilla, cream and remaining sugar in 1/2 cup increments.
To get the two-tone effect, take 2 piping bags and fill with each frosting. Then, take a larger piping bag fit with you desired tip and slide the 2 full bags into it.
Vegas boyz, you be missing out! These cupcakes were fantastic, a perfect way to begin the New Year. The cake was a moist and complex as any cupcake I’ve had, and it had just the right level of sweetness. The stout flavor was evident in just the right dose, as it didn’t overwhelm. And the icing with the hint of whiskey? Perfect.
Lastly, these were beautiful cupcakes to behold … and I love the name! Game on in 2012!
I was really surprised how much the whiskey stands out! For me, it comes through as a hint of citrus and cidery sweetness, and it blends perfectly with the swirl of vanilla frosting.
The cake is less dense than your other chocolate recipe, but I still really like it.
This was soooo good! Cake was perfect. Right amount of chocolate flavor and the texture of the cake was amazing. I agree that this should be your base chocolate cake. Frosting was delicious. Consistency was smooth and creamy. Perfect balance to the cake. Flavor was amazing! Since I had the more boozed up version I must say the whiskey/chocolate combo was a perfect match for the stout cake.
Loved it-great way to start off 2012. I chose one of the cupcakes with more of the chocolate whiskey, and it was awesome & smooth. Overall, the cake was nicely moist. Great job!
Oooh, I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve in 2012. If this cupcake is any indication, we’re in for a good year.
I really like this cake. The stout-infused flavor makes it just what I go for: sweet, but not too. The buttercream (which is a bit more sugary) is the perfect compliment. My cupcake had a swirled frosting and I think I lost some of the whiskey flavor… BUT the hint that I got was superb paired with the vanilla and chocolate stout. I think this is a fabulous example of a funky twist on a traditional cake. Bravo!
Wow, these were really fantastic. It usually takes me awhile to eat a cupcake, I generally don’t eat them all at once, but I housed this bad boy in a minute. I even went back to see if there were any extras.
The other reviewers summed up its awesomeness perfectly. My review: Nomnomnom. A+
Once again, I am super late in the feedback game (sorry!). I agree that this should be your base chocolate cake. It was moist and packed the perfect punch of chocolate flavor. It wasn’t overly rich…just right. I didn’t think I would like too much of the whiskey, so Melissa was going to give me mostly vanilla icing. However, my cupcake did have a hint of whiskey and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. I think more of it would have been too much for me (only because I don’t like whiskey)–this was ideal. The subtle swirl made for a nice presentation. Good job.