I'm Going Bananas

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

A chocolate cupcake topped with swirled orange frosting and a white sugar skull decoration
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Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Yield
Yields 20
Difficulty
medium

This week we really wanted to create a Halloween-inspired recipe and came up with these delicious chocolate cupcakes made with Guinness stout and topped with pumpkin cream cheese frosting. Our family rarely makes cupcakes — we just tend to make cakes for birthday dinners instead. Having a large family that gets together often for dinner gives us opportunities to be creative and try out new recipes. Happy Halloween!

A tray of freshly baked, unfrosted chocolate Guinness cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 cup Guinness
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup sour cream

Frosting

  • 1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
  • 2 cups sugar
  • Flour, to thicken
  • Food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a small pot on medium heat, melt the butter and add the Guinness. Don't let it get too hot, or the beer and butter will separate.
  3. Mix in the cocoa powder and let the mixture cool.
  4. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Mix the eggs and sour cream in a separate bowl.
  6. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture.
  7. Slowly whisk in the flour and continue mixing until smooth.
  8. Pour into a cupcake pan, filling each about 3/4 of the way.
  9. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Frosting

  1. Mix the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, and sugar to taste.
  2. Slowly add the flour to thicken the frosting for decorating.

Notes

  • Adapted from a cake we love from Smitten Kitchen, with our own frosting added.