guiness chocolate cupcakes with bailey's irish cream frosting

three of my favorite flavors in one; guinness, baileys, and cupcakes. me + this recipe = bliss. all i'm missing is the coffee. it also makes for a perfect ending on st. patrick's day. happy tasting!

courtesy of: smitten kitchen
makes: 24 cupcakes

cupcakes:
- 1c guinness
- 1c butter
- 3/4c unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2c all purpose flour
- 2c sugar
- 1-1/2tsp baking soda
- 3/4tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3c sour cream

filling:
- 8oz bittersweet chocolate
- 2/3c heavy cream
- 2tbsp butter, room temp
- 1-2tbsp irish whiskey (optional)

bailey's frosting:
- 3-4c confectioner's sugar
- 1 stick butter, unsalted at room temp
- 3-4tbsp bailey's
*note: this frosting makes just enough to cover the cupcakes at minimal. if you want a huge heaping pile of uber sweet bailey's frosting on top, i suggest you double the recipe. however, just a touch of frosting is plenty if you consider the sweetness.

make the cupcakes:
1. preheat the oven to 350. line 24 cupcake cups with liners. bring 1c guinness and 1c butter to a simmer in a heavy large saucepan over med heat. add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. cool slightly.

2. whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4tsp salt in a large bowl to blend. using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. add guinness-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. add the flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. divide the batter among the cupcake cups, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. bake until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. rotating them once, front to back, if your oven bakes unevenly. about 17 min. cool cupcakes on a rack completely before frosting.

make the filling:
1. chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. let it sit for 1 min and then stir until smooth. (if this does not sufficiently melt the chocolate, pour it into a double broiler and melt it carefully) add the butter and whiskey (if you're using it) and stir until combined.

2. let the filling cool until thick, but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along, but you must stir it every 10 min). meanwhile, using your 1" round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, aiming for 2/3 of the way down. a slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. put the filling into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the cupcakes until full.

make the frosting:
1. whip the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, several minutes. slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tbsps at a time. when the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle the bailey's and whip until combined. if this has made the frosting too thin (which it shouldn't), beat in another tbsp or two of powdered sugar.

2. ice and decorate the cupcakes.