Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

Today I thought it would be the perfect time to share my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dessert: Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes. Moist and delicious chocolate cupcakes flavored with Guinness stout and then topped with a sweet frosting made with Baileys Irish Cream.

The perfect combination of two famous Irish beverages made into a dessert that you can share with your family and friends! There is no better time than to enjoy them than on March 17th!

And they couldn’t be easier to make! I have adapted my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe by adding a few additional ingredients. Then I adjusted my basic vanilla frosting recipe into an amazingly delicious creamy frosting that pairs perfectly with the chocolate cupcakes.

Once the cupcakes have cooled and been frosted, you can serve them as is. However, if you want to make them a little more festive and dressed up for the holiday, add a few green sprinkles on top.

Or if you don’t mind a little food coloring, tint the frosting with a few drops of green food color. After all, they will go perfectly with the green tinted beer served at St. Patrick’s Day parties all around the world.

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

Ingredients Required

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup Guinness Stout*
• 1⁄3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup white sugar
• 2⁄3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1⁄4 cup sour cream

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• pinch table salt
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream**
• 1⁄2 tablespoon milk
• green sprinkles and/or food coloring (optional)

*Guinness Stout does contain alcohol, however the alcohol will cook off during the baking process, leaving you with only great flavor.

**Because Bailey’s Irish Cream contains alcohol and will not be cooked off, this frosting recipe should only be consumed by those who are above the legal drinking age. However, see the recommendation below for other recommended frosting options below.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease 12 cupcake cups or fill 12 cups with cupcake paper liners.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, Guinness, cocoa and brown sugar, whisking often, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Then remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

3. While the mixture is cooling prepare your dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl add salt, flour, white sugar and baking soda and whisk until well incorporated.

4. Then add the cooled mixture from the saucepan and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Next add the egg and sour cream and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the Guinness cupcake batter is mostly smooth.

5. Divide the batter among the cupcake holes and fill each one about 3⁄4 full.

6. Place the cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the Guinness cupcakes comes out mostly clean.

There can be a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, but not visible wet batter.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then carefully remove each cupcake and transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Prepare the Frosting

While you are waiting for the cupcakes to completely cool, prepare the frosting.

In a mixing bowl cream the room temperature butter until very light and creamy. Then add the salt and slowly add confectioners sugar a little at a time and mix on LOW speed.

Once the confectioners’ sugar is no longer visible, add the Baileys Irish Cream and milk until a spreadable consistency is achieved. If the frosting is too thick, add one additional teaspoon of milk and continue to mix and slowly add more until the desired consistency has been reached.

If you are going to add green food coloring do so at this point. Start with 3-4 drops and mix. Continue to add more until the green color is to your liking.

Once the Guinness cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the Bailey’s frosting. Sprinkle with green sprinkles if desired.

Other St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

If you came to check out this recipe, it is likely because you are about ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Therefore, I thought I would share some of my other favorite recipes that we make to celebrate this Irish holiday.

No, not all of the recipes below are traditional recipes that you fill find in Ireland. However, just like with the Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes, some of them are American-Irish traditions that have held up in the test of time.

• Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Irish Beef Stew
• Irish Soda Bread
• Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Bangers and Mash
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Irish Mashed Potatoes – Colcannon
• Irish Boxty
• No Bake Grasshopper Pie
• Shamrock Shake

Enjoy! Mary

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