It’s totally that time of year… GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME!
I can’t resist. I bought 10 boxes. Yes. You read that correctly. 10 boxes.
2 to eat (with in the first 24 hours).
8 to bake with.
Yeah… you read that correctly. 8 boxes to bake with.
Last year I made Samoa Cupcakes and Tagalong Brownies. This year… I started with Thin Mint Cupcakes. These cupcakes are a super decadent chocolate cake filled with a whipped chocolate ganache topped with a mint buttercream. Serious amounts of NOM NOM NOM.
PS…. This is my new favorite chocolate cake recipe. I know it’s got beer in it… but I’m totally using it for every chocolate cake I make from now on!!
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
1 bottle of Guinness Stout Beer
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Add the vanilla beer, whisk together and heat until it just begins to simmer. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder and heat until it just begins to bubble up. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.
- In the meantime, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream. Slowly pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. NOTE: DO THIS SLOW! You don’t want to cook the eggs, so start pouring a very small amount of the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture… DO NOT DUMP IT IN ALL AT ONCE.
- In three parts, add the flour mixture to the chocolate/egg mixture. Whisk until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure everything is incorporated.
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating pan after 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 3-4 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
- Place the chopped chocolate in a medium glass bowl.
- In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup just until it bubbles.
- Pour heavy cream over chocolate and stir until smooth. If the chocolate doesn’t melt all the way, place the bowl over a double boiler and continue to stir until smooth.
- Mix in the butter and extract.
- Allow ganache to cool to room temperature.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the cooled ganache until fluffy. Don’t over mix or it will get grainy.
Vanilla Bean Peppermint Buttercream
12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
2 lbs powdered sugar
1/2 cup Madagascar Vanilla Bean Cream
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
pinch of salt
Wilton Green Food Gel
- Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
- Add half the powdered sugar and mix on high until incorporated and smooth.
- Beat in half the vanilla bean cream until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl, making sure all the sugar is combined.
- Add the remaining sugar and the peppermint extract.
- Mix in the food gel until it’s the color you desire.
- Add remaining vanilla bean cream until you get the consistency you want. Mix on high 3-4 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
To Assemble Cupcakes:
Thin Mint Cookies
Peppermint Buttercream
Chocolate Shavings
Piping bag & large round tip
Apple corer
- Core each cupcake using the apple corer.
- Fill each cupcake with whipped ganache. (I filled a disposable piping bag, cut off the top and filled each one with that.)
- Using a large round tip and a piping bag, pipe a round swirl of buttercream on to each cupcake.
- Top with a Thin Mint cookie and chocolate shavings.
- EAT! ENJOY!
And this is what you do when you have left over peppermint buttercream. NOM NOM NOM
Betsy Eves
Hi I'm Betsy- the owner of JavaCupcake.com! I'm also an Army wife, mother, blogger, writer, baker and traveler. I'm currently living in Germany... spending my days taking care of family, baking for friends and blogging! I also write for the world famous blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake and contribute to the coffee blog, Coffee Cup News.
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These Cupcakes look amazing.
These are my favorite cookies, I can only imagine how good the cupcakes are.
This is my favorite cupcake of 2012!!!!!
These look delicious! Can you recommend an easy substitution for the Madagascar Vanilla Butter Cream?
You can use any cream/milk in it’s place. I find that I like the texture and taste using a heavy whipping cream over a low-fat/skim milk. But, whatever is in your fridge is fine too. If you have vanilla beans… bring your milk/cream to a boil in a small pan with a vanilla bean then let it cool before adding it to your buttercream. That vanilla will add TONS of flavor!
Oh wow! I am going to try to make these! I’ve been looking for recipe that involves chocolate and mint!
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them. As for the vanilla beans, I was wondering if you have ever used vanilla bean paste. Also, if you have does it yield the same taste?
I’ve never used the paste before because I’ve always bought fresh beans. Paste is just the beans anyways… so it should yield the same results!
Happy Baking!
these look delish! would making these cupcakes without the beer ruin the recipe?
With this recipe, yes… the beer is an important part of the cake! I’d try a different cake recipe if you don’t want the beer in it. Honestly though, you don’t taste the beer… it really just enhances the overall flavor of the cake!
I can’t wait to make these this weekend for St. Patrick’s Day! Can you tell me what size for the bottle of Guinness? Thanks!
I have been looking for a moist and delicious chocolate cupcake recipe for about a year now. They were always dry and not flavorful, until i came across this recipe. Oh My Goodness! This is is the best chocolate cupcake ive ever had. WAY better than a box. Thank you so much for
posting this recipe!!
I know, right. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chocolate cupcake recipe!!!!!
Can you tell me what size for the bottle of Guinness? Thanks!
I don’t know how many oz it is. There is only one size of that kind though. It’s the dark black bottle.
Does it have to be Guinness?
You don’t have to use Guinness…. but honestly, it pairs so well with this cupcake. If you wanted to use another brand… I’d stick with using a similar stout beer.
I’ve seen a lot of other thin mint cupcake recipes that use mint extract instead of peppermint. What’s the difference between the two and could your recipe use mint extract rather than peppermint? My mom is worried they won’t be “minty” enough.
If you only have mint extract, that will be fine too. I just enjoy the flavor of peppermint extract more. And yes…. they will be plenty minty. The extract goes a long way! ENJOY!
just found your blog and I am totally in LOVE!! Thank you sooooo much for sharing I cant wait to try this recipe tonight!Just wondering do you think you can use the same recipe and make a cake? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely. Just increase the baking time!
I absolutely love the idea of this cake. I am making cupcakes for a friends birthday, and she loves mint chocolate. How do you think these would be if i put a thin mint cookie in the bottom of the tin before baking? I’ve seen the idea of the cookie at the bottom with an oreo, and just wanted some suggestions! Thanks!
I think that’d be a GREAT idea!!! Would just add another minty, chocolaty dimension to the cupcake! YUM!!! PLEASE, let me know how they turn out!! xoxo
Betsy
Love this recipe! Bought 5 more boxes todsy!