guinness chocolate cupcakes with creamy chocolate frosting

These decadent 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!

this recipe

Now, if you’re already skeptical of these cupcakes, let me just tell you – Guinness is SO good in desserts! It enhances the chocolate flavor without giving a super strong beer taste, so even people who don’t like beer (me!) will love these. Let’s make ’em!

How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:

Start by mixing up a super simple chocolate batter. You’ll need the usual cast of basic ingredients:

• Flour
• Brown & granulated sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Baking soda & powder
• Espresso powder
• Salt
• Greek Yogurt
• Vegetable Oil
• Milk
• Guinness
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract

Surprisingly, cupcakes made with vegetable oil rather than butter are incredibly moist and tender! And, this batter comes together so easily – just whisk together the dry ingredients, and then stir in the wet. It’s that simple!

Filling the cupcake liners:

Add cupcake liners to your pan, and fill 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. In general, it’s a good rule of thumb to only fill your cupcake liners 2/3 of the way.

Bake your cupcakes:

Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes. They’ll be super moist – a toothpick will pull out some moist crumbs, but shouldn’t pull out any wet batter. Set them aside to cool for a bit, then remove them from the pan and let them cool completely before frosting them. Frosting will melt right off of a warm or hot cupcake.

Just look at the deep chocolatey goodness of those cupcakes!

Can I make these without alcohol?

Yes! Simply sub the 1 cup of Guinness called for in the recipe for 1 cup of milk. (I recommend 2%) You can omit the 2 tablespoons of alcohol from the frosting as well.

How to make the best Chocolate Frosting:

This frosting is SO incredibly rich and chocolatey. It’s extra creamy, thanks to a combo of butter and cream cheese. I love using both in all my frostings – it helps keep them from having that overly sweet taste that plain buttercream often has.

Add a pinch of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor – it won’t add a coffee taste. A few more splashes of Guinness make this frosting incredibly delicious! If you want to spike your frosting with something else, try Jameson Irish Whiskey or Bailey’s Irish Cream – either of those options would be fabulous, too.

How to frost your cupcakes:

You can frost your cupcakes using a piping bag and tip, or you can swirl and swoop it on with a butter knife or offset spatula. Use whatever option you prefer! I used an Ateco 849 Piping Tip with a piping bag to frost my cupcakes. (Be careful when putting this piping tip in the piping bag. Do NOT let your finger slide into the opening of the piping tip- trust me, it’s painful.)

If you don’t want as much frosting on your cupcakes, cut the frosting recipe in half. But, you will need the full amount if you want to create the large swirls on top.

How long do these last?

In my experience, these are best on the first 1-2 days. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge – the frosting needs to be kept refrigerated. But, let them come to room temp for a bit (30 minutes or so) before serving, so the frosting isn’t so solidified from sitting in the fridge.

And there you have it – the best chocolate cupcakes! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Happy baking, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

More St. Patrick’s Day Desserts:

Bailey’s Chocolate Mousse Parfaits – Silky smooth layers of Irish cream-infused whipped cream, chocolate whipped cream, and crushed oreos make up these delightful personal-sized desserts!

No-Bake Mint Chocolate Pie – This luscious dessert requires only 8 ingredients and less than an hour to make!

Guinness Chocolate Cake – A rich chocolate cake made with Guinness and brown butter, and topped with the creamiest cream cheese + brown butter Guinness frosting

Layered Mint Chocolate Brownies – Layered with a rich, fudgy brownie base, a creamy mint buttercream filling, and a luscious layer of chocolate ganache.

Lucky Charms Rice Krispie Treats – These colorful gluten-free treats require just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make.

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment! 

Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag @bluebowlrecipes with your photo – I’d love to see what you make! And, be sure to leave a comment + rating below if you make this recipe.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Chocolate Frosting

These decadent 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!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: Chocolate Cupcakes, St. Patrick's Day Desserts

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 and 1/2 cups cake flour, spooned + leveled See note
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 3/4 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt at room temperature
• 2 tbsp milk at room temperature
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup Guinness beer
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Frosting

• 1 and 1/2 cups salted butter, softened at room temp (3 sticks, 24 tbsp, or 339 grams)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp Use the full fat, block style
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder
• 2 tbsp Guinness beer Or Bailey's Irish Cream, or Jameson Irish Whiskey
• pinch of salt

Instructions

• Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 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. Next, add the wet ingredients 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.
• Make the Chocolate Frosting: Cream butter and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes, until well combined and very creamy. Add the powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, mixing until well combined. Add the vanilla and cocoa powder, and mix until well combined. Mix in the Guinness, pinch of salt, and espresso powder last.
• 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

Note: To make these without alcohol, omit the 1 cup of Guinness, and use 1 cup of milk instead. You can also omit the Guinness from the frosting. If it seems like it needs any extra liquid, sub 1-2 tbsp milk, but it should be fine without. 

Note: I recommend using cake flour for a lighter texture in your cupcakes. Spoon it into your measuring cups and level off the tops with the flat side of a knife. 

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