Tasty Takes – Chocolate and Espresso Stout Cupcakes (for a friend’s birthday)

These little babies combine three of my favorite ingredients – chocolate, coffee and beer! This recipe is a slight variation on the layered chocolate porter cake at North Park’s Sea Rocket Bistro.

Ingredients:
• ¾ c stout or porter style beer
• ¼ c strong espresso
• 8 oz butter
• ¾ c cocoa powder
• 2 c flour
• 2 c sugar
• 1 ¾ t baking soda
• ¾ t salt
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ c sour cream
• 12 oz blueberry jam
• ¾ c chocolate chips
• 1 can dulce de leche
• ¾ c sour cream

For the cupcake batter:

Bring beer and butter to a simmer. Let butter melt completely. Whisk in cocoa powder. Take off the heat. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and ¾ c sour cream 30 seconds. Add cocoa stout mix. Mix until incorporated. Add flour sugar mix. Mix on low until incorporated, making sure to scrape sides of the bowl. Fill cupcake cups ¾ full. It should make around 18 small cupcakes. Bake at 365 until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 12 – 15 minutes. Let cupcakes cool.

For the chocolate frosting:

Melt chocolate chips, whisk in ¾ c sour cream and ¼ c dulce de leche.

To assemble:

Take a tablespoon and scoop out the middle of each cupcake. Put 1 ½ teaspoons blueberry jam in the hole, and put the cupcake middle back in place. Ice cupcakes with either chocolate frosting, or dulce de leche. There should be enough frosting and left over dulce de leche to frost half chocolate and half dulce de leche. Let them set, then give to those special loved ones!