[Recipe Share Seconds] Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Up for our second helping of sweetness this Sunday, are some Chocolate Stout Cupcakes (with cream cheese icing).  I found this recipe by accident after I already decided to make Mint Chocolate ones.  So instead picking and choosing and actually making something called a 'decision', I just made both!  They were just too appropriate for the 'Beer Tasting' theme...

This is the exact recipe I found on FoodNetwork.com by Dave Lieberman.

Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch fine salt
1 bottle stout beer (recommended: Guinness - which I used, natch)
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream

Frosting 
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


2.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.


3.  In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at time. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

4. Lightly grease or line 24 muffin tins. Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.
To make the icing:


In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream. On low speed, slowly mix in the confectioners' sugar until incorporated and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Icing can be made several hours ahead and kept covered and chilled.

I decided to keep the icing white (instead adding green food dye because it's just so fun) so the cupcakes were easily distinguishable as different varieties.  Also, with the consistency of the cream cheese icing being so... goopy (?), piping wasn't an option.  So to dress them up I used the cupcake flags I pre-made here.

I preferred the Mint Chocolate, but that's easily one of my favorite combinations (riding closely behind popular fav, chocolate peanut butter).  My opinion aside, both were big hits.



Now the question is, which one will you be making to show off around the office this Thursday??