Boozy chocolate cupcakes topped with sugared pretzels and salted caramel buttercream.
Happy Father's Day! I made you Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream! I added some sugared pretzels and a salted caramel drizzle to the mix too. The stout shines in the chocolate cupcakes. In my opinion, the best tasting beer is that that is in a baked good. Can we all agree?
It's so funny. My husband is not any kind of an alcohol drinker. He can tell you anything about beer though. It's one of the things that he really enjoys reading about and would love to start his own brewery. He's the man I went to when I was looking for a beer to throw in my cupcakes for Father's Day. He did not disappoint. He came carrying an Oatmeal Stout to me and told me that this was the beer to use. So I did.
Wesley fell head over heels for these cupcakes by the way. I can proudly say I nailed it! These amazing cupcakes weren't the only thing Wesley got for his Father's Day this year. I know, we're still early, but he found something that he needed. We were at Guitar Center and he found a pedal. It was called the Swollen Pickle. Who names these things? Regardless, we made him a happy man!
I have a few dessert recipes that I think can be related to a manly dessert if you're in need of some ideas. I have the Maple Bacon Cake Pops, Peanut Butter Bacon Donuts, Jalapeno Popper Cheesecake and Chocolate Stout and Pretzel Cookies. I'm here to hook the dad's up with some sugar. I also am quite fond of hooking myself up, kids, and basically anyone that will eat my things. Just saying.
Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon . baking soda
- ½ teaspoon . baking powder
- 12 oz Oatmeal Stout room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 T . vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup sour cream
Pretzel Crumb
- 1 cup pretzels crushed
- 1 + ½ T. granulated sugar
- 2 T . butter melted
Buttercream
- 1 cup Salted Caramel Sauce
- 6 egg whites
- 1 + ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ¾ cup shortening
- 2 cups butter room temperature
- 1 T . vanilla extract
- 34 whole pretzels for garnish
- ¼ cup Salted Caramel Sauce for garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners.
- In a large bowl, add in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add in the oatmeal stout, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the sour cream and whisk until all the sour cream is incorporated. Scrape the sides with a spatula.
- Add in all of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Whisk until most or all of the lumps are out of the batter and the flour is completely incorporated.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pans.
- Place in the oven and bake for 18 minutes or until done. Place a clean toothpick into the center of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean or with moist crumbs, it's done. If it still have batter on it, leave the cupcakes in to bake for a little longer.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool.
Pretzel Crumb
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- I placed a couple handfuls of pretzels in a sandwich bag. I crushed them with a rolling pin then measured out my one cup.
- Add the crumbs to a mixing bowl.
- Add in the granulated sugar and melted butter. Stir until combined.
- Add the butter coated pretzels on a shallow baking pan. Place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Make your salted caramel sauce and let cool.
- Add the egg whites and granulated sugar in a double boiler.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved. This is when the egg whites reach about 115 degrees.
- Pour into the stand mixer bowl, and whip with a whisk attachment on high. The meringue needs to come to stiff peaks. If you turn the whisk upside down and the peak stands straight up, you've reached the stiff peak stage.
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.
- Add in the shortening and butter. Beat until it all comes together. It will thicken up at this point. If the mixture looks like it curdled, keep mixing. It will come back together.
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- The frosting should be thick and creamy. If it looks separated, keep mixing. It will come back together.
- Add in the 1 cup of salted caramel and mix until combined.
- Place the buttercream in a piping bag with an 1M tip.
Assemble
- The tops of the cupcakes will be sticky. Press the tops of the cupcakes into the pretzels.
- Pipe a nice tall swirl on top of the cupcakes.
- Drizzle some caramel for garnish using a spoon and flicking it back and forth.
- Press a pretzel into the top. Serve!
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
I also want to mention that I'm working towards an ambassadorship with Rodelle. They've been around since 1936 providing premium vanilla extract. Since then, they have expanded into other high quality extracts as well as dutch cocoa powder. My personal favorite product is the vanilla bean paste. It's so intense in flavor and ahhhmazing. That's why I use it in basically every recipe
.
They're also doing a giveaway right now with Kitchenaid and Ovenly. You can enter as often as you want and there will be 15 winners. So, if you're into winning some goodies, head over and check it out.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Wow those look awesome! Chocolate + stout is such a great combination, I'm sure these cupcakes are delicious 🙂 Great Father's Day dessert!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Love these pretty cupcakes Miranda. Haven't made a cupcake with Stout. YET! Ha. These look gorgeous and I love the sugared pretzels.
Susan says
Stout and chocolate is dessert harmony. Gorgeous cupcakes, I'd be diving right in with that sweet, salty and chocolatey combo.
Diana Rambles says
These look amazing!!
Shannon Johnson says
Hi,
Can you tell me if these need to be refrigerated? Thanks.
Miranda says
Hi! They don't.
KB says
Can you make this this with milk stout as opposed to Oatmeal stout?
Miranda C. says
Yes! You definitely can.
Jess says
Where do I find the recipe for the salted caramel sauce?
Miranda says
Here it is, Jess. https://www.cookiedoughandovenmitt.com/salted-caramel-sauce/
Meagan says
I've never left a recipe review in my life but omg these are INSANE. I made a half batch with stout and the other half with milk and its CRAZY moist and fluffy. The buttercream is light, fluffy, and not overbearingly sweet. I'm obsessed with this recipe. I can't wait to make other cupcakes from this blog!
Miranda says
Awww Meagan! Thank you so much for leaving a review and I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
KB says
Can you use regular vanilla extra instead of vanialla bean paste? If do is it still the same amount or diffrent?
Miranda C. says
Yes, you can use vanilla extract in place of vanilla bean paste. You can also use the scrapings from one vanilla bean along with vanilla extract to get those beautiful black vanilla specks. Hope this helps!