Mint Bailey's Irish Cream and Guinness Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

One of the best things my brother in law has ever done, in my opinion, is choose such a wonderful person for a bride. She is fun to be around, kind, patient and a perfect match to balance him out. You can't help just loving the person that she is upon meeting her.

That is why I am so excited to be able to make Mint Bailey's Irish Cream and Guinness Chocolate Chip Cupcakes for a shower held in her honor this Sunday. One of the bride to be's favorite flavor combinations is mint-chocolate. I decided to use Mint Bailey's for a smoother mint taste and Guinness to bring a bit of a tartness to the chocolate. I've never made this combination before so I hope it doesn't disappoint!

This cupcake is another revisit to the Irish Cream and Guinness Cupcakes with slight modifications--Bailey's instead of St. Brendan's, mint instead of original, and chocolate chips in the cupcake batter. They consist of a Chocolate Chip Guinness Cupcake, a Mint Bailey's Ganache, and a Mint Bailey's Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. Yum, Yum, and Yum!

The wedding colors are blue, silver, and white. In keeping with the theme, I tinted the frosting to match the cobalt blue of the bridesmaids dresses. To make it more special I added a pearl white wrapper,  silver and pearl white non perils, and mint chocolate hearts.

Chocolate Chip Guinness Cupcakes

adapted from Annie's Eats Guinness Bailey's Cupcakes

preheat oven to 375 degrees


1 cup Guinness
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
12.25 oz all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

1. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  
4. Mix in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon just until incorporated. 
5. Add chocolate chips.

Fill liners to 3/4 full. Makes 24 cupcakes. Bake for 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

Mint Irish Cream Ganache

8 oz. dark chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp Mint Bailey's Irish cream

1/2 tsp mint extract or to taste

1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. 
2. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (10 seconds). 
3. Add the butter, mint extract, and Irish Cream and stir until combined.

Set aside to cool.

Core cupcakes and fill with ganache. This cupcake corer is amazing! Insert into cupcake, twist while pulling out of cupcake. Fill with ganache. Use corer to push core back in, top with more ganache. Yum!

Mint Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, but cold

4-6 tbsp Mint Bailey's Irish Cream

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 tsp mint extract or to taste

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. 
2. Whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 150° F. (About 8 minutes)
3. Transfer to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, mixture is shiny and glossy, and has cooled to room temperature. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)
4. Reduce the speed to medium and switch to paddle attachment and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. 
5. Add Irish cream and blend until smooth. (This time the frosting looked very soupy) *If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!)
6. Add salt mint extract, and vanilla. Continue to blend for another 30 seconds. You are done!

Mint Bailey's Irish Cream and Guinness Chocolate Chip Cupcakes have a nice chocolatey mint taste to them. To get a blue that was close to the theme I had to add a lot of food coloring, so just a touch of the frosting leaves blue on your hands. I suspect that we will all have blue tongues at the shower!