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Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes are rich, most, and super chocolatey! They’re made with basic ingredients and topped with a rich chocolate cream cheese frosting. The addition of Guinness enhances the chocolate flavor, and makes these a fun St. Patrick’s Day treat!
Why you’ll love Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Rich Chocolate Flavor – Guinness enhances the chocolate flavor, without making the cupcakes taste like Guinness!
- Easy Recipe – The cupcakes are easily made in one bowl and are frosted in the most luscious chocolate frosting.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- All-purpose Flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with the flat side of a butter knife, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Cocoa powder – Use natural cocoa powder or black cocoa powder here. Don’t use dutch process as I haven’t tested it in this recipe and it can react differently than the others.
- Guinness – Use a fresh bottle of Guinness or another type of Irish Stout.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven and place cupcake liners in your muffin/cupcake pan.
Step 2: Make the Cupcake Batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Next, add the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. There may be a few small lumps – that’s fine.
Step 3: Bake. Fill cupcake liners 2/3. Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes. A toothpick will pull out some moist crumbs, but shouldn’t pull out any wet batter.
Step 4: Make the Chocolate Frosting. Cream together the butter, cream cheese, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, and Guinness in a large mixing bowl. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes – I used an Ateco 849 Piping Tip here.
Serving + Storing:
Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. But, let them come to room temp for a bit (15-30 minutes or so) when serving, so the frosting isn’t so solid from sitting in the fridge.
Keep the St. Patty’s Day party going with my easy Bailey’s Chocolate Cake or my Brown Butter Guinness Chocolate Cake!
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Filling the Cupcake Liners – Fill each paper liner only about 2/3 of the way full. If you fill them more than this, the cupcakes will balloon out over the top of each well during the bake.
- Halve the Frosting – If you don’t want as much frosting, cut the frosting recipe in half. But, you will need the full amount if you want to create the large swirls on top with the same piping tip.
FAQs:
Sure – try Jameson Irish Whiskey or Baileys Irish Cream – either of those options would be delish.
Yes! Simply sub the 1 cup of Guinness called for in the recipe for 1 cup of hot water. You can also replace the Guinness in the frosting with milk.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes:
- Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse Parfaits
- Guinness Chocolate Cake
- Layered Mint Chocolate Brownies
- Bailey’s Chocolate Cake
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Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned + leveled, 195 grams
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed, 241 grams
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 113 grams
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, Do not use dutch process
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature , 180 grams
- 2 tbsp milk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup Guinness beer, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Frosting
- 1 and 1/2 cups salted butter, softened at room temperature, (3 sticks, 24 tbsp, or 339 grams)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp Guinness beer, Or Bailey's Irish Cream, or Jameson Irish Whiskey if you want a fun twist!
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cold, Use the full fat, block style
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350℉. Place cupcake liners in your muffin/cupcake pan.
- Make the Cupcake Batter: Whisk together all the dry ingredients (including the sugars) in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Next, add the wet ingredients, including the beaten eggs, and mix until just combined. There may be a few small lumps – that's fine. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake: Bake your cupcakes for 14-16 minutes. The tops will be set and will lightly spring back when gently poked, and a toothpick inserted into the middle will come out with moist crumbs – not wet batter. Once the cupcakes are baked, pop them out of the cupcake pan with a butter knife to cool on a wire rack completely.
- Make the Chocolate Frosting: Cream butter in a large mixing bowl for 1 minute or so. Add the powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, mixing until well combined. Use the Guinness & milk as needed to help it come together. Mix in the remaining frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the Cupcakes: Use a piping bag and piping tip, or an offset spatula or butter knife to frost your cupcakes. I used an Ateco 849 tip to create the large swirls pictured here.
- Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge. These are best within the first two days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were a hit for our st Patrick’s day party!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Brittany!
These are ALWAYS a crowd pleaser! Her frostings are just perfect too—never too sweet to cause teeth to ache!
Thanks so much, Sue! 🙂