Butter and Booze

We're going to skip clear over the part where I ramble on about how I've rudely neglected my five avid followers. Okay, let's be real; I actually have 23, and this makes me feel mildly legitimate and/or more-so flattered that anyone out there would consider reading any of this.
So as usual, thanks.
You're all awesome, no joke.

So last year I turned 21, and since then I've been introduced to a plethora of fantastic and some not so great drinks that all contain an awesome little substance known as alcohol.
Now, let's talk a little about my drinking habits.
I totally view beer and liquor the same way I view food; I love trying new things.
Every time a new brewery opens, I love trying the new local drafts, and every time a new bar opens I love stopping in to try some new signature drink.
(I'm the same way with restaurants and bakeries. Whenever I hear of something new opening, I cannot help but want to be one of the first people to check it out!)

But "butter and booze," what's that all about?
Well, perfect timing, that's what!
See football season, is kind of my favorite season.
A. I thoroughly enjoy watching the game.
B. Autumn rocks, let's be real summer and winter have nothing on this cool, crisp season.
C. Sundays are legit.
(See Sundays are my experimental baking day, and if you did not notice or if you live under a rock, Sundays also happen to be a great day to watch a game and bake... I mean, drink a beer... and/or both?)

Sundays last autumn consisted of me turning on the big game of the weekend, and popping open some new bottle of beer while experimenting with some new cupcake recipe.
And I fell in love.
With the beer and cupcakes?
Well, yeah.
But also with myself, obviously.
I mean, what's better than a chick that digs football, beer, and cupcakes?
(Let's make this a not so rhetorical question, try and come up with a response and comment below! Bet you can't come up with anything.)
((Just sayin'.))


So that brings me to my most recent cupcake recipe! When a friend told me he needed manly cupcakes for a football gathering, I thought beer or course!
And Guinness seemed like a great go to.
It has awesome rich flavor, like a good coffee.
So why not take my favorite chocolate cake recipe and replace the coffee with Guinness.
And BAM!
We're making progress.

So frosting was the next step.
Nothing manlier than a fluffy, whipped topping to pipe atop a cute little cupcake.
But when you toss a little Irish Cream into your buttercream, you're good to go!

So we're getting this right Irish Cream... Guinness...
You see where this is going.

Now I've always liked Guinness, and I dig Irish Cream, so ever since I turned 21 my friends have been trying to coax me into an Irish Car Bomb, but here's the thing, I'm not exactly the most experienced at drinking, so attempting to chug a curdling beer without gagging, throwing up, and/or making a fool of myself did not seem like fun.
So I avoided it.
For a year.

And then one night, while I was out with a friend, apparently I was feeling a little gutsy and thought, "Hey, why not?"
And what do you know!?
Love at first sight...
Drink...?
Chug...?
You get the idea.

It was great!
And while I didn't break records for fastest chugging time, I'd say I took it like a champ.
And sure enough, I was headed to the store ready for my newest cupcake concoction.
Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Now, don't be fooled, I didn't invent the idea.
But I was feeling inspired, and was still savoring the awesomeness of the drink.

So 2/3 of the bases covered:
Chocolate Guinness Cake
And Irish Cream Buttercream.

But I stilled needed to find a place for the whiskey, and what better thing to do than fill the cupcake. And the Whiskey Chocolate Ganache came to be.
Shut up!
(So good, you have no idea.)

So it was the usual drill, time to rock n roll.
Whip out your favorite chocolate cake recipe and make a few little tweaks that mostly consist of you replacing the water and/or coffee with Guinness.
And then bake them off and well those little babies out.
And you know this is always a good sign, because last time we were welling out cupcakes we filled them with homemade salted caramel....
(That's what up.)
I then filled the cupcakes with the ganache and topped them with the Irish Cream Buttercream.
And BAM, you're done.

But buyer beware!
The alcohol does cook out of the cupcake; however, it does not cook out of the ganache and the buttercream.
So just twenty-one and up welcome, please and thanks!

I was quite thrilled with how these cupcakes came out, and as far as I know, everyone that tried them loved them.
In fact, they went so quickly that I don't think I even managed a picture of the finished product!

But other than that, life goes on as usual.
Rockin' two jobs and within a couple of weeks school will be well underway.
However, this upcoming weekend I have a wedding order for two friends I've known since middle school/maybe freshman year, and I am super excited for them and look forward to being able to be a part of their wedding by doing their cake.
And I'm absolutely excited about the design and set-up we came up with for their wedding; so watch for pictures and an update soon!

But until then, I hope you are all doing well, and I hope you are enjoying the summer so far! (I cannot believe it's already mid-August!)


Thank you so much for stopping by!
Cupcakes & Kisses
Paula-Marie