Cupcake Bowl

 
I modified my Car Bomb Cupcake recipe slightly to take it to a neighbor’s for the Super Bowl. First, I added 2 tablespoons of Jameson’s to the ganache, because, really, what’s a car bomb without the whiskey? 



Second, I made a more kid-friendly chocolate-peanut butter version by making chocolate-peanut butter ganache for the filling and peanut butter buttercream for the top.



Finally, I made them all in miniature so everyone could try one of each.



Mini car bomb cupcakes
makes 24 regular or 48-60 mini cupcakes

1 c stout (such as Guinness)
2 c butter, divided, plus 1 T
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1½ t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 eggs
2/3 c plain nonfat yogurt
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 c heavy cream
1 T Irish whiskey (such as Jameson’s)
4 c powdered sugar
4 T Irish cream (such as Bailey’s, I use homemade)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake cups with liners. Bring stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and yogurt in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes (12-15 minutes for mini cupcakes). Cool cupcakes on a rack completely. (At this point, you can freeze the cupcakes, well wrapped, up to two weeks.)

Make the filling: In a double boiler, melt chocolate and cream together, stirring until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon butter and Irish whiskey and stir until combined.

Make the frosting: Whip 1 cup butter in the bowl of an electric mixer for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Irish cream and whip it until combined and fluffy.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. Put the ganache into a piping bag or plastic bottle, poke the tip into the top of the cupcake and squeeze until some comes out at the insertion point. (Also, at this point, you can freeze the cupcakes, well wrapped, up to two weeks.)

Ice and decorate the cupcakes: Put the frosting into a piping bag or plastic bag. Using a decorative tip, or just cut the corner off the plastic bag, and put dollops of frosting on the cupcakes. Drizzle any leftover ganache over the tops. Filled and frosted cupcakes will keep in the fridge for a day.


Mini chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes
makes 24 regular or 48-60 mini cupcakes

1 c stout (such as Guinness)
2 c butter, divided, plus 1 T
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1½ t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 eggs
2/3 c plain nonfat yogurt
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 c heavy cream, plus 4 T, divided
½ c plus 2 T creamy peanut butter, melted, divided
4 c powdered sugar

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake cups with liners. Bring stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and yogurt in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes (12-15 minutes for mini cupcakes). Cool cupcakes on a rack completely. (At this point, you can freeze the cupcakes, well wrapped, up to two weeks.)

Make the filling: In a double boiler, melt chocolate and cream together, stirring until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 T melted peanut butter and stir until combined.

Make the frosting: Whip 1 cup butter in the bowl of an electric mixer for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, add ½ cup melted peanut butter, continue whipping. Finally, drizzle in the heavy cream and whip it until combined and fluffy.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. Put the ganache into a piping bag or plastic bottle, poke the tip into the top of the cupcake and squeeze until some comes out at the insertion point. (Also, at this point, you can freeze the cupcakes, well wrapped, up to two weeks.)

Ice and decorate the cupcakes: Put the frosting into a piping bag or plastic bag. Using a decorative tip, or just cut the corner off the plastic bag, and put dollops of frosting on the cupcakes. Drizzle any leftover ganache over the tops. Filled and frosted cupcakes will keep in the fridge for a day.