Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day!  The dark Guinness stout pairs perfectly with the chocolate and adds richness to the cake without being too sweet :)

Credit: http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0091009/photos/tawest64/5593473483/

Makes 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup Guinness beer
• 1 tbl vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache (Optional)

• 9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

Bailey's Butter cream Frosting

• 1 stick butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tbl Bailey's Irish Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins with liners or grease with butter and dust with cocoa powder.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until creamy.  Slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, the sour cream and the vanilla.  
3. In a medium bowl whisk the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt until combined.  Slowly add i the dry ingredients with the wet while mixing until mixed.  Finally pour in the Guinness beer and mix until batter is smooth.
4. Pour into muffin tins until 2/3 full and bake about 20 minutes or until tooth pic comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile make the frosting.  In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.  Add in the powdered sugar and Irish cream until smooth.  If you choose to top the cupcakes with a a layer of ganache, wait until the cupcakes are cool before making the ganache.  In a double boiler melt the chocolate with the heavy cream.  Dip the cupcakes in the chocolate and allow chocolate to set.  Top with the Bailey's frosting and decorative St. Patrick's day candies.