17 March, 2018
Guinness Cupcakes
Happy St Patrick’s Day! What better way to celebrate than with Guinness Cupcakes?
I’ve taken the cake recipe from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Feast – Food That Celebrates Life’ cook book. She uses the quantities stated to make a 12 slice cake whereas I use the recipe to make a batch of cupcakes. I used to make and sell these at Scarlets Rugby matches when an Irish team was visiting! They are delicious! The cake tastes a little like gingerbread but without the spices!
Ingredients (to make one large cake or a batch of approx 24 cupcakes)
- 250ml Guinness
- 250g unsalted butter
- 75g cocoa
- 400g caster sugar
- 1 x 142ml pot sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 275g plain flour
- 2.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Notes on ingredients: 400g of sugar might sound like a lot! But it counteracts any potential bitterness of the Guinness.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180*C and line cupcake trays with cake cases.
- Pour the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan, add the butter in slices and heat until the butter melts.
- Whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
- Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and pour into the buttery, beery pan.
- Whisk in the flour and bicarb.
- Pour the cake batter into the cupcake cases, ensuring each one is two thirds full.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Leave to cool completely before decorating as this is quite a damp cake mix.
(If making a large cake, follow the instructions but pour the cake batter into a greased and lined 23cm tin and bake for 45-60 minutes)
Once cooled decorate with my vanilla cupcake frosting (see ‘Very Vanilla Cupcakes’ for recipe) and sprinkle with mini shamrock sprinkles.
