I love when people say they don’t want anyone to make a big deal out of their birthday. That’s just like begging for me to do something. My coworker, Sean, uttered the magic words during a meeting on Tuesday so I made sure these cupcakes were sitting in the middle of his desk when he came in Wednesday morning.

I’m not usually a huge fan of beer, but I really liked these – and so did everyone else.  Often, it seems like the flavor of alcohol bakes out but these definitely tasted like Guinness when all was said and done. The cream cheese frosting was the perfect accompaniment – I added some additional powdered sugar to make it thick enough to pipe.

(And because someone asked, no, the baseballs were not edible. They just made the cupcakes a little more “Sean”!)

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
(from Annie’s Eats)
Makes 20-24

For the cake:
1 c. Guinness beer
10 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 c. superfine sugar
3/4 c. sour cream
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
2 c. AP flour
2 1/2 t. baking soda

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese (no need to soften)
5 T. butter, softened
2 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar (+ additional)

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line cupcake pans.

In a small saucepan, combine the Guinness and butter. Heat over medium heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add the Guinness mixture to the bowl and mix until incorporated.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the mixer and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

Fill the cupcake pans 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream on medium-high speed. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl in batches, beating on low until just combined and then on high speed until desired consistency is reached. For a stiffer icing, add more powdered sugar. Frost as desired.