The last time I had an Irish Car Bomb was senior year of college. As I recall, I didn’t even really want to drink it. I hate beer, and I stay away from whiskey if I can help it, but my friend Melissa told me that if I chugged the drink really quickly all the ingredients would mix together and taste exactly like a chocolate milkshake. She LIED.
The Car Bomb was nothing like a chocolate milkshake. As I choked down the thick fizzy brew, all I could taste was the bitter yeastiness of Guinness, the burn of cheap whiskey (Canadian Mist), and the faintest hint of sweetness from the generic cream liqueur we bought instead of real Baileys. It. Was. Not. Delicious. I was not happy.
(Blurry. Ugh. I hate shooting in low light.)
This cupcake version of the Irish Car Bomb does make me happy, however. It makes me very happy. What’s not to love about a moist, tender chocolate cupcake filled with rich chocolate ganache and topped with sweet, boozy buttercream? Nothing. It’s the best! Not too boozy, not too sweet; just rich and chocolate-y and delicious. If the drink tasted like these cupcakes, I would be drunk all the time.
Happy early St. Paddy’s Day, everyone!
** I know that the name “Irish Car Bomb” is technically sort of offensive, but it’s the name I’ve always known the drink by. Hopefully no one is offended by this dessert — feel free to call them “Boilermaker Cupcakes” or “St. Paddy’s Day Cupcakes”!
- 1 cup Guinness
- 2 sticks butter or margarine
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 2 cups flour
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup cream
- 2 tbsp butter or margarine
- 4 tsp Irish Whiskey
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur
- Preheat oven to 350. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a pot or large sauce pan, simmer the beer and butter on medium until butter is completely melted.
- Add cocoa powder and chocolate chips and stir until your mixture smooth. Take off heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, stir eggs and yogurt together until smooth. Slowly add chocolate mixture.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks.
- In a large sauce pan, melt chocolate chips, cream, and butter on medium-low. Stir until smooth. Add your whiskey, stir, then remove from heat and set aside to let mixture cool/thicken.
- While your ganache is cooling, scoop a hole into the center of each cupcake with a cupcake corer, apple corer, or spoon.
- Fill holes to the brim with thickened ganache.
- In another large bowl, cream together butter, Baileys, and powdered sugar. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag and pipe it generously on top of each filled cupcake.
- Enjoy!
(Adapted from Lauren’s Couch’s recipe)
sarah says
wow, they look and sound delicious!
justputzing says
Thank you! They really are delicious…I’ll have to pawn them off on my friends before I eat the whole batch!
Rita says
Love the name of that cupcake and love the (blurry photo)the looks wonderful.
Rita
justputzing says
Thanks, Rita!
Sarah says
Yum! I can’t wait to eat these this weekend.
justputzing says
I just hope they’re not too squished from being in Dan’s carry on…
Amy Freeman says
How festive! I hate real Irish Car Bombs too, but these look yummy.
justputzing says
Thanks, Amy!
Melissa says
I have no recollection of that incident, Tina 😛 But I do agree about the taste of normal car bombs… my wimpier version (with it’s 3:2 ratio of Guinness to Baileys) is much more enjoyable! I do really enjoy baileys in a steaming mug of coffee, though it lacks the excitement of a car bomb haha. Still, it is a morning drink…
These cupcakes look wonderful though–even though you called me a liar!! <3 you!
justputzing says
I was actually going to make the frosting with coffee AND Baileys, but I got lazy and the sun was disappearing…
Ambika says
Yum! These cupcakes look perfect! Lovely shots!
justputzing says
Thank you!
Leslie says
Nice frosting job! Very pretty!
justputzing says
Haha, thanks friend 🙂
mjskit says
Love the story and the recipe is even better! I had never heard of a “car bomb” and after reading your description, I’ll leave those for the young people. I’ll pass thank you! However, you are welcome to pass a few of those cupcakes my way. They look delicious!
justputzing says
Haha, yeah lets leave the heavy drinking to other people while we stuff our faces with cupcakes 🙂
Cielo Trueblood says
Im not a fan of the traditional Irish car bomb shot. However, after making your Irish car bomb cupcakes, I fell in love! They are soooooo DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing! That whiskey chocolate center is pure heaven!
justputzing says
I’m not a fan of the drink either! But there’s something magical about chocolate + booze, isn’t there? I’m so glad you liked the cupcakes 🙂
Xuan @ My Kitchen Fixation says
I love the way you frost the cupcakes! Is there a special tip that you used?
justputzing says
Thanks! I used the Closed Star Tip and 16″ piping bag from Bake It Pretty’s Best Ever Cupcake Icing Kit. The tips that come in the kit are extra huge, and I love the way they pipe!
erica says
I’m planning on making these for my fiance’s birthday and he loves the irish car bomb shot and it was actually the first shot we had together lol. I was wondering in the ingredients it says cream, what kind of cream did you use? i went to the store and saw heavy whipping cream and was wondering if there was a specific one?
justputzing says
Nope, I used heavy whipping cream 🙂 Hope your fiance likes these!
Katie says
I was wondering when you added the whiskey to the ganache. After it cools? Or while it is still simmering in the sauce pan?
thanks!
justputzing says
Good question! Can’t believe I left that out of the directions – sorry about that. Add the whiskey while it’s still on the stove, after your chips have melted. Hope that helps!
Ziggy says
Looks yummy! It’s St. Paddy’s BTW, not Patty’s.
justputzing says
Thanks! Good to know.
Karen says
I cut down on the sugar in the frosting a little, but those may be the cupcakes I’ve ever had!! Yum!!