Chocolate cupcakes are classics, but they can start to feel a bit… predictable after a while. So, my hubby dropped a bombshell and told me to add some Guinness stout to spice things up. Genius, right?

Long story short, I gave it a shot, and oh my gosh, all customers went NUTS over my Guinness cupcakes. Nobody could get enough of them. Seriously, they were a hit like no other!

Why We Are So Obsessed With Chocolate Stout Cupcakes Recipe

The Guinness adds a whole new level of richness and depth to the chocolate that you just can’t get with regular old cocoa powder. It’s not overly sweet, either; I can even pick up on hints of coffee, caramel, or roasted malts. Talk about a flavor party!
With the beer acting like a natural tenderizer, these babies come out of the oven super moist and practically melt in your mouth. And the best part? You can totally go wild with your chocolate game. Dark, milk, semisweet, or whatever; feel free to find your perfect match!
Guinness is practically an Irish tradition, so these cupcakes, along with funfetti cupcakes, are a party in themselves with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner. And even if you’re not a big fan of beer, no sweat; the alcohol will be cooked off while baking anyway, leaving behind an awesome flavor rollercoaster without any boozy taste.

How To Make A Guinness Chocolate Cupcake

Let’s round up our ingredients! Obviously, we need some Guinness to kick things off. But wait, there’s more:

Flour: This is the base of our cupcake goodness. Just a heads up: stick with all-purpose flour instead of cake flour. Cake flour might make everything a bit too airy when we pair it with the cocoa powder!
Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened): Make sure it’s the natural kind. None of that artificial stuff here!
Espresso Powder: A little boost of coffee flavor that pairs perfectly with Guinness and chocolate. You can find it in the coffee section at almost every grocery store.
Baking Soda: Our secret sauce for the cupcake’s perfect rise. It works like magic with brown sugar, cocoa, sour cream, and beer!
Salt and Vanilla Extract: Because, let’s face it, flavor is everything!
Vegetable Oil: Forget softened butter; we’re going for oil to keep everything moist and tasty.
Brown Sugar: Why settle for plain ol’ white, granulated sugar when you can add a hint of molasses magic with brown sugar?
Eggs: The glue that holds everything together, giving it structure and lift.
Sour Cream: Just like in shortcake cupcakes, sour cream brings moisture and tender flavors to the party. Trust me, you’ll easily taste the difference.

Cupcake

Step 1.

First, grab your small saucepan and pour in the Guinness. Crank up the heat to medium-high and let it bubble away. Once boiling, dial the heat to medium and keep it simmering until reduced to about 1 cup. That usually takes me about 20-22 minutes!

Now, set aside ¾ cup of the reduced Guinness to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. This will go into our cupcake batter later on!

While it’s cooling, mix all the remaining Guinness (which should be about ¼ cup or 3 to 4 tablespoons) with 3 teaspoons of espresso powder for the frosting. Got everything mixed up? Great! Set it aside for the frosting.

Heads-up: You can totally do this step a day ahead.

Just pop the reduced beer in the fridge overnight, then make sure to bring it back to room temp before you start with the cupcakes and frosting. Trust me, you don’t want any cold surprises to ruin your baking adventure!

Step 2.

Next, preheat your oven to 350°F (or 177°C), the best temperature for Guinness cupcakes. Then grab two muffin pans and line each with 12 cupcake tins. That’s right; this recipe will make about 24 cupcakes in total!

Step 3.

In a big ol’ bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and salt until they’re all mixed up. Set that aside for a sec.

Now, in another bowl, mix the oil, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, and sour cream until smooth. Pour these wet ingredients onto the dry ones, add that ¾ cup (about 180 ml) of reduced Guinness we set aside earlier, and give it a gentle whisk until everything’s just combined.

Don’t go overboard with the mixing, though; we want our batter to stay nice and thin.

Step 4.

Alright, it’s time to get these babies into the oven!

Spoon or pour the batter into your liners and make sure to fill each about ⅔ full; we don’t want any overflow disasters or sunken cupcakes here!

Then, pop them in the oven and let them bake away for 19 to 22 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick poked into the middle comes out mostly clean.

Oh, and whatever you do, don’t leave them in too long, or you’ll end up with super dry cupcakes. Keep an eye on them starting at the 19-minute mark!

And what if you’re making mini cupcakes? Then they’ll need a bit less time in the oven — about 11 to 13 minutes at the same temperature should do the trick.

Step 5.

Once they’re out looking rich, deep brown, let these babies cool down completely before you even think about adding some frosting. Patience pays off big time, my friend!

Frosting

Step 6.

Remember that Guinness + espresso powder mix we set aside earlier? Keep it nearby – we’ll need it soon!

Grab a big bowl and your trusty handheld/ stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Now, crank that baby up to high speed and let it work its magic on the butter until it’s all creamy and smooth. That usually takes about 2-3 minutes of mixing.

Step 7.

It’s time to add the rest of our ingredients: cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, milk, that reduced Guinness/espresso powder mix, more milk (yes, twice!), and some vanilla extract. Beat everything at a low speed for about 30 seconds, then crank it up to a higher speed and keep going until everything’s all mixed up.

And that’s it! You and I are one step closer to frosting heaven.

Step 8.

Onto the final step: the taste test! Take a little spoonful and give it a try.

Feel like it needs a little extra oomph? Go ahead and sprinkle in a little salt. Personally, I usually add about ¼ teaspoons to give it that perfect balance. And if you’re craving a thicker frosting, just toss in an extra ½ cup (45 g) of confectioners’ sugar for some extra fluffiness!

Once you’ve finally nailed that perfect frosting, get ready to decorate your cool cupcakes away like a pro.

Note

1. Want to jazz up your cakes with some fancy chocolate shavings? Grab your vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar. If you want thin curls, shave the edges of that chocolate bar; for wider curls, go for the sides.

2. Does Guinness need to be refrigerated? Absolutely. Make sure to store your leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container; they’ll stay moist and tasty for about five days.

3. Fair warning: if you decide to swap any ingredient I recommended, like using honey instead of brown sugar, just know that it might not turn out exactly like you expected. Both are sweeteners, but their properties are VERY different!

FAQs

Can You Use Another Stout Beer If You Don’t Have Guinness?

A Guinness cupcake without Guinness is obviously not the same. But yes, you can still switch it for other dark beers; look for stouts, porters, or even brown ales!