100 Ways to Use Beer in Food and Drinks #13: Cupcakes

Cupcakes: a man’s food. Something you hear every day right? Right…and you see plenty of men on Cupcake Wars. But then you put beer in them . Now we’re talking. Previously, the only way I knew how to make cupcakes was with the contents of a cardboard box. But alas, I’ve matured. And through this maturation I bring to you Chocolate Stout Cupcakes.

These cupcakes are nearly 100 percent made from scratch. Beginning with the batter (containing an entire bottle of my own Cafe Vanilla Con Leche Stout), the cupcakes also include stout-infused ganache, and cream cheese frosting. And guess what? As most of my original recipes are—they are healthy cupcakes! Instead of butter in the batter, we used applesauce (we had to save the butter for the cream cheese frosting). Thank the g/f for preventing me from ruining the frosting by trying to use low-fat cream cheese.

The end result: moist chocolate cupcakes with rich ganache filling and topped with creamy frosting. Add a glass of milk and you have a match made in heaven. There was concern about using the applesauce rather than the butter, but I couldn’t tell a major difference. In fact, adding some cinnamon to the batter complements the overall flavor and it even stands out a bit. I took the cupcakes to work for the true test. Everyone loved them. And so should you.  You’re welcome.

Vanilla Con Leche Stout Cupcakes

•  2 1/4c flour
• 2 c sugar
• 1tsp baking soda
• 3/4c cocoa
• Pinch salt
• 1 bottle Cafe Vanilla Con Leche stout (or stout beer of your choice)
• 1c applesauce
• 2/3 c vanilla Greek yogurt(  you can use plain and then add 1 tbsp vanilla)
• 2 eggs

Pre-heat to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients. Now mix the wet ingredients. Through them together and mix again. Put in your fru fru cupcake wrappers and in the tin. Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes.

Ganache

12oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 c heavy cream
3 tbsp stout

Bring cream and stout to boil and pour over chopped chocolate and stir til melted and combined, let cool and use how you’d please

Icing

5 tbsp in salted butter softened
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 lb powdered sugar

Beat butter and cheese together and add sugar once combined

Cafe Vanilla Con Leche Stout

My girlfriend and I made this stout on Cinco De Mayo. The beer contains 1/2 lb of espresso, lactose powder, and vanilla bean. It’s good enough to keep it’s ridiculous name. Here’s the recipe:

Malts:

• 6.6 lbs Light LME
• .75 lbs Chocolate Malt
• 1.25 Belgian Special B
• .5 lbs Black Patent

Hops:

• 1 oz. East Kent Golding
• 1 oz. Williamette

Yeast:

• Wyeast 1084: Irish Ale

Other:

• 1 lb lactose
• 1 Vanilla Bean (Madagascar special)