Vegan chocolate boozy cupcakes, a cocktail transformed into a delicious cupcake and spiked with a bit of alcohol. Don't be fooled by the looks of these cupcakes, they're made with a Guinness chocolate cupcake, Jameson whiskey ganache filling, and topped with a delicious Baileys Almande buttercream frosting. I'm not one to drink much alcohol, but these were too good to pass up. So, if you want a boozy St. Patrick's Day-themed recipe, then you'll love this!
Inspiration for vegan chocolate boozy cupcakes
So, if you've guessed correctly, then you'll know that this recipe was inspired by the Irish Car Bomb. To put it shortly, it's a cocktail made by dropping a shot of Irish cream and Irish whiskey into a glass of stout. Sounds like a wild night out, doesn't it? However, if you're wondering why I didn't call this recipe by that name is because it's an American-made drink, and really has nothing to do with the Irish. And personally, I haven't had this drink, but my husband has, and to be honest, it doesn't sound like a drink I would actually have! But, in a cupcake? Now, that's a different story.
With this in mind, it gave me the idea of creating a boozy Irish-themed recipe for St. Patrick's Day! Sure, I could have gone for a more child-safe route, but I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, just by a little bit. I personally have not baked with alcohol. While that seems like such a small ordeal, it's something I was worried wouldn't turn out well.
With something like alcohol, you want to make sure it's not overpowering in the bake unless you prefer it that way. Basically, I wanted to make sure, that in these vegan, you get a balance of both flavor and that booziness. Surprisingly, this recipe turned out really delicious! And that's coming from me, someone who doesn't drink that often.
What ingredients are in a vegan chocolate boozy cupcake?
- Alcohol - Guinness, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Baileys Almande (Yes, all 3 and all vegan friendly)
- Vegetable oil
- Soymilk
- Vinegar
- Dutch-Processed cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Vegan Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Bakers Chocolate Bar
Tips & tricks:
- Measure your flour properly. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. Another key point, this greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error. My recipes are 100% tested in grams.
- Barnivore.com! This will sound weird at first, but did you know that some alcohol aren't vegan friendly? For more information, check out Barnivore.com! You can search up any kind of booze you like and it'll tell you if it's vegan or not.
- Guinness! Yes, Guiness, the stout, it enhances the chocolate flavor, you won't actually taste it in the final product. However, if you don't want to use it, add the same amount of freshly brewed coffee.
- Use Dutch-process cocoa! It gives this recipe its delicious mellow chocolate flavor. If you don't want to use it, you can easily swap it for natural cocoa powder.
- Don't let the ganache cool too much. Once it cools down, it'll be hard to pipe it into the cupcakes. So do this part last, and right before you are ready to assemble.
- Allow the cupcakes to be completely cool before you start to assemble. Otherwise, everything will start to melt!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might want to check these out:
If you tried this recipe let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe for more delicious recipes. While you’re at it, don’t forget to tag me whenever you recreate my recipes! Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Boozy Cupcakes
Equipment
- Food scale highly recommended
- 12-cup cupcake pan
- Cupcake liners
- Heatproof mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Saucepan
- 1-inch round cookie cutter apple corer or a paring knife
- Piping bag
- Piping tip
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 180 grams Guinness (or any stout beer)
- 60 grams vegetable oil
- 30 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 60 grams non-dairy milk (lukewarm, I used Soy)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30 grams maple syrup
- 210 grams all-purpose flour
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Ganache
- 113 grams Semi-sweet Baker's Chocolate (chopped)
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk (I used soy)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2-3 tablespoons Jameson (or any whiskey)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 226 grams vegan butter (softened at room temperature)
- 420 grams powdered sugar (add more if needed)
- 3 tablespoons Baileys Almande
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and prep a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners.
- In a small saucepan, combine the Guinness and vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Dutch-processed cocoa powder to the saucepan and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat, and set aside to let it cool slightly.
- Next, combine non-dairy milk, make sure it’s lukewarm, and apple cider vinegar. Mix and set aside for 5 minutes, this will be your buttermilk, it will curdle and thicken slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- Pour your buttermilk into the Guinness mixture, along with vanilla extract and maple syrup. Whisk to combine.
- Combine wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and with a rubber spatula, gently fold them together. Careful not to over mix.
- Fill your cupcake liners ¾ of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven, and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After, remove from the tin and let them fully cool on a cooling rack before assembling.
Frosting:
- Place the softened butter in a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whip the butter on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until you get a light and creamy texture.
- On low, gradually add the powdered sugar until it has been fully incorporated.
- Next, add in the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high, and whip for another 2-3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. If the buttercream seems a little too soft gradually add more powdered sugar until you get a thick, pipeable consistency. If it’s too soft, it won’t hold its shape.
Ganache:
- Add the chopped chocolate and non-dairy milk to a heatproof bowl. Heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments, while stirring in between. Stop when you get a smooth chocolate texture.
- Add the whiskey and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Set aside until ready to use, but don't let it get too cool as it will harden and it will be difficult to pour into the cupcakes.
Assembly:
- Working with one cupcake at a time, core the center of the cupcake with an apple corer, small cookie cutter, or knife. Save the core of the cake, as this will serve as your "cover".
- Carefully spoon or pipe in enough of the spiked ganache into the center of the cupcake. Take the core of the cake and place it over the top of the ganache. Repeat for the remaining cupcakes.
- Next, fit your favorite piping tip into a large piping bag and fill it with enough frosting. Pipe a nice swirl over the cupcakes.
- Top sprinkle some green sprinkles on top, and serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Measure your flour properly. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error. My recipes are 100% tested in grams.
- If you’re measuring by cups, avoid scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour. This tends to pack the flour into the cup, resulting in too much flour and a very dense or gummy finished product. Instead, aerate your flour (fluff it with a fork or spoon) and then spoon it into your measuring cups, leveling it with your finger or the back of a butter knife. Keep in mind though, this method is not guaranteed to be accurate.
- Watch this video from King Arthur on how to properly measure your flour if you don’t have a food scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUSovVHpqsU
- Barnivore.com! This will sound weird at first, but did you know that some alcohol aren't vegan friendly? For more information, check out Barnivore.com! You can search up any kind of booze you like and it'll tell you if it's vegan or not.
- Guinness. Yes, Guiness, the stout, it enhances the chocolate flavor, you won't actually taste it in the final product. However, if you don't want to use it, add the same amount of freshly brewed coffee.
- Use Dutch-process cocoa. It gives this recipe its delicious mellow chocolate flavor. If you don't want to use it, you can easily swap it for natural cocoa powder.
- Don't let the ganache cool too much. Once it cools down, it'll be hard to pipe it into the cupcakes. So do this part last, and right before you are ready to assemble.
- Allow the cupcakes to be completely cool before you start to assemble. Otherwise, everything will start to melt!
- Substitutions. Buying alcohol can get expensive, so if you want to use whatever stout or whiskey you have, you can most certainly do that.
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