Two at a Time Baking

It's been so long since I've blogged - it feels good to be back.  I was really in the mood to bake something this weekend - it had been far too long.  Erik came across a recipe for some really tasty sounding frosting that was posted on the Chowhound website.  One of the commenters suggested that it would go well with some Guinness Chocolate cupcakes.  So off I went in search of a recipe.  I was thrilled to find a recipe from Nigella Lawson since I had wanted to try some of her recipes.  The result was very tasty - love the sweet and salty combination.  The frosting was a little hard to work with in a pastry bag so we just ended up using a spatula to frost the cupcakes.  Some of the comments on the Chowhound website suggested that they would cut down on the amount of butter in the frosting.  I may try that next time - that might help.  As you can see from the photos, I shared some with friends and the cupcakes seemed to be a big hit.   I'm a pretty terrible food photographer (turns out it's much harder than it looks) so I thought I'd go in a different direction and snap some shots of people enjoying the cupcakes.

 

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes
Adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe and this Chowhound recipe

For Frosting:
0.25 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
0.25 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup powdered sugar

For Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) unsweetened dutch-process cocoa
2 cups granulated sugar (preferably superfine or caster)
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2.5 teaspoons baking soda

1.  Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2.  Remove from heat and carefully and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth.  Pour into a bowl and set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.
3.  Combine butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to low, add powdered sugar and mix until completely incorporated.
4.  Turn mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add cooled caramel.  Beat frosting on medium-high speed until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate until stiff, about 45 minutes, before using.
5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter tops of muffin tins and line with cupcake paper or foil liners.  In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter.  Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat.  Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.
6.  In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well.  Add to Guinness mixture.  Add flour and baking soda, and whisk until smooth.  Fill cupcake tins about 2/3 full; don't overfill.  Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes.
7.  Cool cupcakes in pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 5-10 minutes. Carefully lift each from pan, and set on wire rack.  Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 30 minutes.
8.  Enjoy!