You know it's a good time when the strawberries are getting drunk. I'm not Irish so my idea of embracing the St. Patrick's Holiday is using Guinness in as many recipes as I possibly can. Given that the dark ale has a deep, thick almost coffeesque taste to it, it really lends itself nicely to any type of dessert recipe. These cupcakes are a spongy, moist chocolate guinness cake, filled with macerated strawberries that have been soaked in Guinness, and topped with rich white chocolate buttercream. Delicious from the first bite to the last. It's a well balanced cupcake given that the cake is not very sweet, but the frosting fills in where the cake is lacking. The strawberries add a slight bitter, texture component to the cupcakes that give them great depth. This is definitely one of my favorite cupcake recipes to date that I've made and will make again and again.
Chocolate Drunken Strawberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream
Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar till creamy. Then add one egg. Beat till combined.
Next mix in your dry ingredients from the medium bowl. Mix well. Then add the creme friache which will moisten the cupcakes. Lastly add the Guinness. Blend till smooth. Pour batter evenly into a cupcake pan lined with 12 cupcake cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of cupcakes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Prepare the drunken strawberry filling by chopping up strawberries and reducing them in a saucepan with Guinness beer. The juices will thicken creating drunken macerated strawberries that will fill the cupcakes.
When cupcakes have cooled completely, cut out the center with a butter knife, reserving the cake on the side. Don't go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake though. Fill center with a spoonful of the strawberries in Guinness mixture. You can then put the center that you cut out back on top of the strawberries. Push down with a spoon to create an even frosting surface.
To make the very simple buttercream, begin by melting white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. Begin with 30 seconds, stir chips and if not completely melted, microwave for another 10 seconds and stir and repeat if not completely melted. Then cream butter in a mixer till it's nice and smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once that is completely mixed in, add your melted white chocolate. Blend well.
Place buttercream frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe onto cupcakes. Decorate with sliced strawberries.
These cupcakes are for celebrating any holiday, especially St. Patricks Day. So pour yourself a pint and eat up!
Chocolate Drunken Strawberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream
Makes: 12 Servings | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup creme friache
3/4 cup Guinness Beer
For the Filling
1 pt strawberries
2/3 cup Guinness Beer
1 tbs sugar
For the Buttercream
1 1/4 sticks butter, softened
2 cups confectionary sugar
1 cup white chocolate morsels
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar till creamy. Then add one egg. Beat till combined.
2. Next mix in your dry ingredients from the medium bowl. Mix well. Then add the creme friache. Lastly add the Guinness. Blend till smooth. Pour batter evenly into a cupcake pan lined with 12 cupcake cups.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of cupcakes. Remove from oven and let cool.
5. While the cupcakes are cooling prepare the macerated strawberry filling by chopping up strawberries and reducing them in a saucepan with Guinness beer. The juices will thicken creating drunken macerated strawberries that will fill the cupcakes.
4. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, cut out the center with a butter knife, reserving the cake on the side. Don't go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake though. Fill center with a spoonful of the strawberries in Guinness mixture. You can then put the center that you cut out back on top of the strawberries. Push down with a spoon to create an even frosting surface.
5. For the buttercream, begin by melting white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave. Begin with 30 seconds, stir chips and if not completely melted, microwave for another 10 seconds and stir and repeat if not completely melted.
6. Cream butter in a mixer till it's nice and smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once that is completely mixed in, add your melted white chocolate. Blend well.
7. Place buttercream frosting in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe onto cupcakes. Decorate with sliced strawberries.
