Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Happy St. Patty's Day!
I made these cupcakes for a coworker and they were amazing.  However, they aren't vegan.  Technically, they aren't even vegetarian since apparently Guinness is processed with enzymes from fish or something along those lines.  Luckily, these are loaded with alcohol so as a vegetarian you can be excused for your poor judgment, right?
Enjoy!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Source: Smitten Kitchen via With Sprinkles on Top
Yield: 22-24 cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions for cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 tea. salt in large bowl to blend.
4. In another bowl, beat eggs and sour cream together with an electric mixer or by hand.
5. Add the stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine.
6. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed or by hand. Using a rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
7. Fill the lined cupcake pans 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake 17 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.

Ingredients for ganache filling: (I recommend doubling)
4 oz. bittersweet baker’s chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon Irish Whiskey

Directions for filling:
1. Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heat-proof bowl.
2. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute and then stir until smooth. This should sufficiently melt the chocolate- if not, put over a double boiler.
3. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
4. Let the ganache cool and thicken. Stir occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, using a knife, cut out 1-inch circles in the cupcakes. Remove the centers of the cake, going about 2/3 of the way down into the cupcake.
6. Put the ganache in a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Nobody has to know if they aren't perfect, unless you blog about it!

Ingredients for frosting: (I doubled but you can get away without)
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Bailey’s

Directions for frosting: - This is the hardest part to do by hand but it can be done!
1. Cream the butter with an electric mixer or by hand.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar.
3. Add the desired amount of Bailey’s (or milk, if you don’t like Baileys) to the frosting to make it a little creamier.
4. Ice the cupcakes and decorate.  I used a piping bag because it is fun!

Notes:
- I made these over the course of a few days since there are so many steps!
- Baileys is going in all of my frosting from here on out- wow!
- If you don't have a mixer, be prepared for a workout!  It will help to have the butter at room temperature, not just slightly softened.

Happy St. Patty's Day!