Imperial Stout Chocolate Cupcakes

Imperial Stout Chocolate Cupcakes with Stout Buttercream Frosting

 

Our very own Kristine Mathers is not only Welly's awesome tap room Kitchen Queen, but makes the most aesthetically pleasing, mouth-watering cupcakes you will ever taste.  We know that's a bold claim, but we stand behind it a thousand percent!  If you like a treat that's not too sweet yet very complex in flavour, these cupcakes are for you.  With the roasted coffee bean and dark cocoa notes of our Imperial Russian Stout shining through with each bite, we're certain you will find these tasty treats suitable for entertaining, indulging and comforting your loved ones on a cold day!   

Cake Ingredients:

•  2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar (use fresh, or sift)

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 4 tbsp room temp. salted butter

• 1 ⅓  cup Imperial Russian Stout (1/2 to 2/3 c. reduced, topped up to 1 1/3c. with a fresh cracked can of stout *don't drink the rest of it just yet! you may need it for the buttercream*!)

• ½  cup melted salted butter (cooled)

• 4 eggs

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 1 cup room temp. salted butter

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar (use fresh, or sift)

• ½  tsp. cocoa powder

• ½  tsp. instant espresso powder

• 6 tbsp. reduced Imperial Russian Stout

Ganache Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. reduced Imperial Russian Stout

• 75 to 100grams of 50%-80% quality chocolate   

 

 

Directions- Cake: 

• preheat oven to 350 degrees F

• Bring a whole can of imperial to a very light boil on stove top, turn down until beer is at a light simmer. Simmer lightly for 30 to 45 minutes, until beer is reduced to about half.

• Remove from heat and cool. (we will be using this in the cake, and later in the buttercream and ganache)

• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add room temp. butter, then use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend butter into dry ingredients. Mix until no chunks of butter are visible

• Add liners to two 12 cup muffin tins

• Blend beer, and cooled melted butter in a large bowl with an electric/or stand mixer at medium speed until mixed.  Add eggs, blend

• Slowly add dry ingredients on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down sides. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes 

Directions- Buttercream:

• Whip butter in a large bowl with an electric/or stand mixer at medium to speed. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl, whip again. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl

• Add sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso powder to the bowl and mix on low until combined. Slowly turn up to high, and whip together for approx. 30 to 45 seconds

• While mixing on low, add reduced beer a tbsp at a time, turning the speed up to medium to incorporate each tbsp.

• Turn speed to medium/high to whip again

• Your buttercream should be pretty fluffy, if it is not quite there, repeat step 3 adding a splash of that fresh cracked can of imperial (from step 4 in the cake instructions, you hopefully didn't drink) until your buttercream is fluffy enough to pipe

• Pipe buttercream onto top of cupcakes

Directions- Ganache: 

• Add chocolate to double boiler on low

• Slowly, and a little at a time, add reduced beer

• Scrape ganache into a small bowl and let cool

• If ganache cannot quite drizzle off spoon, thin, by slowly adding a little more reduced beer or what's left of that can (you weren't supposed to be drinking) until desired consistency is reached

• Drizzle onto buttercream

You can now drink what's left of that can!

Fill your house with the scent of freshly-baked stout cupcakes! Thanks to Cupcake Queen, Kristine for sharing her coveted recipe for you and your family to enjoy! To see more of Kristine's beautiful baked delights, check out hashtag #kristinebakesstuff on Instagram. 

Enjoy!

 

 

 IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT