Education
Drakonic Imperial Stout Chocolate Cupcakes
While you can easily enjoy a bottle of our Drakonic Imperial Stout on it’s own, why not kick it up a notch and pair it with a delicious cupcake? We used a little of Drakonic in the recipe to boost the cupcake’s rich, velvety texture. Grab a few more bottles and share some cupcakes, beer and good cheer with friends. Prost!
Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup milk
8 oz Drakonic Imperial Stout (+ more to drink while you’re baking!)
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk or whipping cream
Drake’s Hefeweizen CaramAle Sauce:
6 oz. Drake’s Hefeweizen
1 tbsp salted butter
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
Baking Instructions
Cupcakes:
Melt chocolate in a double boiler on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until all of the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
Sift together the flour and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed of an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure they are fully incorporated after each addition. Pour in the chocolate and mix well. Add half of the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, Imperial Stout, vanilla and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated, making sure not to over do it– you want the mixture to be fully mixed and smooth; be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to grab any extra ingredients.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake wrappers, just over half way full. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 20 minutes. Remove from the muffin pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
Mix the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the milk and vanilla, and mix until creamy, about 5-7 minutes. If you need to, add more sugar a little at a time, fully beating after each addition, until the frosting thickens. Set aside.
Drake’s Hefeweizen CaramAle Sauce:
Heat the Hefeweizen in a pan and bring to a low boil. Let simmer uncovered until the beer reduces by half. Add the butter and sugar, and mix only until the ingredients are incorporated. Don’t stir after this point. Keep an eye on the mixture in case it starts to boil over– stir a few times to bring the sauce back down. Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens to a syrup consistency.
Slowly pour in the cream, stirring to incorporate. Let simmer for another five minutes, again, until it thickens. Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla and salt, and mix well. Let sit until lukewarm.
After the cupcakes are cool, frost them and then drizzle with the sauce. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a nice snifter glass of Drakonic Imperial Stout. Cheers!