Welcome to my new Baking to Travel Series! This series is a way to escape quarantine by exploring somewhere I’ve always wanted to go, with a bonus recipe included that explores a food from that region. This week we are talking about the Guinness Storehouse and we are making Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Stout Caramel Drizzle. If you’re looking for more things to do during quarantine, check out this post about staycations during quarantine.
Let me just start off by saying I’m not a huge beer fan. I’m not the cool girl who wants to go to the breweries on the weekends, but over the years of trying to be, I have tasted many sips of my friend’s beers, and discovered that I don’t hate stouts, Guinness obviously being the most popular. Since then, I have always wanted to visit Dublin and tour the Guinness Storehouse. Also I just finished watching Normal People, and I’m obsessed with Ireland at the moment. (Go watch it, now! The actors, the accents!!)
A (VERY) Brief History of Guinness
Guinness was founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness when he signed a 9000 year lease at St. James Gate in Dublin, Ireland for £45 a year. Can I get in on this deal, please? Mr. Guinness then began brewing a new kind of English beer called a “porter” which is what eventually evolved into the Original Guinness. What was once a dilapidated old brewery became one of the largest, most successful breweries in the world.
How to Visit the Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is the largest tourist attraction in Dublin, so it’s definitely worth your while to make it a stop on your trip to Ireland, especially if you’re a beer fan. The Storehouse is also the largest pint glass in the world, so if you’re the kind of guy who wants to cross off all of “the largest…” then this is the place for you. Soon, they hope to bring back the actual brewery tour, but as of right now, it is closed for the safety of the workers. During this time, you can choose from one of two types of timed tickets to explore the interactive exhibits in the Storehouse.
- Welcome Back
- Explore the storehouse and learn about the history of the company
- Includes a pint of Guinness at The Gravity Bar
- Guinness Uncovered
- All of the features above
- 60 minute tasting with a Guinness Beer Specialist
Included in both tickets is a pint at The Gravity Bar. It’s a one-of-a-kind modern Irish bar with panoramic views of Dublin, and artwork commissioned by street artist Aches. Here, they serve your Guinness perfectly chilled at 45° Fahrenheit (6° Celsius) by professional pourers. If you dragged along a beer hater (I’m so sorry for them), or have underaged guests with you, fear not, they have soda and water, too.
You should also consider visiting one of the restaurants at the Storehouse. Both are now open to the public without a ticket, although having a ticket gets you priority reservations. To see their menus, visit the Storehouse website.
Other Boozy Things to do in Dublin
- Visit the Jameson Distillery on Bow Street.
- Explore the Irish Whiskey Museum.
- Go on a whiskey tasting tour at Teeling Whiskey Distillery.
- Find a cool local experience on Airbnb
Maybe don’t do all of these tours in one day. Or do, that’s none of my business. Live your life!
Onto the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
When my sister first gave me the idea to start this series, the first thing that came to mind was Guinness chocolate cupcakes, probably because I was already planning some other boozy cupcakes. (My family just really loves a good boozy dessert. And also booze. And also dessert.) I had also just finished the show Normal People on Hulu, which is set in Ireland, so now I have a minor obsession. (Plus Niall Horan is from Ireland, so we can’t go wrong there.)
Look, I’m not going to be one of those crazy bloggers that goes into insane detail with the recipe ingredients and instructions in the post and then have the literal same instructions in the recipe below. This series is mainly to explore the region the food (or drink, in this case), and tell you more about how to visit to get us some inspiration for future trips.
The Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes themselves are extremely easy to make and are somehow both fluffy and fudgey. I know that seems impossible, but they really are. Their texture makes them the perfect pair for a super creamy Vanilla Buttercream icing, and a decadent Guinness Stout Caramel Drizzle.
Tips & Tricks
- To make the perfect sized cupcakes, use an ice cream scoop to spoon the batter into the liners.
- Hot caramel is basically magma, and you will burn yourself if you’re not careful (especially if you spoon it directly into your mouth instead of onto the cupcakes. Who did that? Let’s just say the roof of my mouth hasn’t been the same since.)
- If you’re new to making caramel (like I was), heavy cream is a definite for the recipe. You can’t substitute it with milk, or half and half like I tried to do. It will just make the caramel too thin.
Want to take your Guinness chocolate cupcakes to the next level?
- Core the cupcakes and put caramel inside, and on top of the icing. Cue the Jonas Brothers circa 2007 singing Hello Beautiful.
- Want to get extra boozy? You know I’m all about that. Use Irish Cream instead of milk in the buttercream.
- If you want them to be even cuter, decorate with bottle caps. Take them off super gently so you don’t bend them, and plop them right on top. Sprinkles never hurt, either!
If you have any questions about the recipe, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments below, or fill out the form here to send me an email! If you make the cupcakes or visit the Storehouse, tag me on instagram @so.the.adventure.continues. I love seeing your travel and baking adventures!
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream and Stout Caramel
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 oz Guinness room temperature
- ¼ cup melted butter cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup sour cream
For Buttercream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
For Stout Caramel
- 6 oz Guinness stout
- ¾ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tb butter cut into small pieces
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In large bowl, combine the Guinness, melted butter and vanilla. Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Add in egg and sour cream. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- .Gradually add dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray. Fill each about 3/4 full with batter. (I use an ice cream scoop.)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool for 2-3 minutes in cupcake tin, and then put them onto cooling rack.
For Buttercream
- Whip butter until it is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar gradually, making sure it is completely combined before adding more.
- Mix in vanilla extract. Then add in heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.
For Stout Caramel
- Bring stout to boil. Bring down to a simmer until it reduces by half, about 10-15 mins. Watch carefully. Stout will bubble over if you don't keep an eye on it.
- Stir in sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Again, watch carefully, sugar bubbles quickly and a lot. Reduce to a simmer, and do not mix caramel for about 10 minutes, until bubbles grow, and mixture thickens to a syrup-y consistence. Mixture is extremely hot!
- Remove caramel from the heat and add butter. Allow butter to melt and then slowly pour in heavy cream and salt, stirring constantly until it is fully combined.
- Once cooled, transfer to a piping bag to drizzle onto cupcakes. Any leftover caramel can be stored in a resealable glass jar, and refrigerated up to two weeks.
Ohhh yummy!! This made my mouth water. I loooved the tips, especially the Irish Cream, it’s my favorite, yum!
Might do it for hubby’s bday party.
Irish Cream is the best! They would be perfect for a birthday party!!
I never thought about baking with beer, but it sounds absolutely delicious. A few years back I had the opportunity to have stout with ice cream – that was an experience!
OMG, I would love to try that! Might have to get some ice cream to go with the rest of my six pack! Thank you so much for reading.
I love Dublin but I’ve never visited the Storehouse! It is on my list though! This recipe looks delicious! What a wonderful way to enjoy Ireland while we can’t travel there right now. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, I can’t wait to try it out!
I can’t wait until I can get to Dublin! Thank you so much for reading!
Guiness stout carmel! Wow, I am saving this for my next St. Patrick’s Day party. I will serve it with my Bailey’s Cake! Thanks for the step by step guide to this amazing cupcake!
Oh, what a great idea!
This looks very inviting and tempting to me. Such a novel idea to use Guinness stout on the cupcake. I am vegan, so I am just wondering how it tastes in a vegan cupcake. Would love to experiment!
That would be a great experiment! I’m sure with a bit of research you could make it perfect. Let me know if you try it!