Vanilla Stout Chocolate Cupcakes

There is a thing at the moment about sourcing ingredients locally. It’s good to support local business and trade. Generally speaking I know that they, whoever these mythical people are, mostly mean veggies and fruit, but I am talking about beer – more specifically stout!

According to Instagram 18 weeks ago, sometime in January, I attended the Real Vintage and Good Food Market at The Hexagon in Reading. It was there that I purchased some delicious smoked garlic and a couple of bottle from the Binghams Brewery stall. They were on offer. If you haven’t guessed it, one of those bottles was there Vanilla Stout. It’s a dark stout that is infused with vanilla and dark malts and won them a couple of awards back in 2011.

In all honesty I was never going to drink it. I am no stout or beer or lager or ale drinker. It is in my opinion that you either like it or you don’t. If you tell me that it’s something I need to acquire a taste for then we won’t be friends. I don’t want to acquire a taste for it, no more then I want to acquire a taste for dirt! (I couldn’t think of any food that I really despise)

However, I will bake it in a chocolate cake every time! It gives the chocolate cake a deep rich malt flavor that is delicious! Would also be perfect for a gentlemen's tea party... they do have them! I wish I could go to a gentlemen's tea party I am positive I would be surrounded by posh accents and mustaches. 

Vanilla Stout Chocolate Cupcakes

250ml Bingham Brewery Vanilla Stout

250g unsalted butter

75g cocoa powder

400g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

140ml sour cream

225g plain flour

2 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Heat the oven to 160C fan (180C/350F/gas 4) and line two cupcake tins.

Melt the butter with the stout in a saucepan over a medium heat do not let it boil. Add the cocoa powder and sugar to the pan and whisk until it’s dissolved. Leave to the side.

Beat the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream together until well combined. Gradually pour the stout/cocoa/sugar mixture into the egg/vanilla/sour cream mixture. Easier done in a freestanding mixture, but if doing it by hand be sure to mix well between adding it in. Once combined add the flour and bicarbonate and beat until combined and smooth. I used an ice cream scoop, as it’s deep and easy to scoop this not thick batter to fill the cupcake cases about ¾ full.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed. Leave to cool completely before topping with the vanilla frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream

300 unsalted butter, softened

½ vanilla extract

4 tablespoons milk

675g icing sugar, sifted

Beat the butter for several minutes until soft and smooth. Add the vanilla to the milk and set aside. Add half the icing sugar to the butter and beat until combined repeat with the rest of the icing sugar. Gradually add the milk/vanilla mixture until the frosting is smooth and delicious! Use a spatula to scrap down the sides to make sure you get it all mixed up. Top each cupcake with a heaped dessert tablespoon and smooth with a palate knife. Enjoy!

notes: All opinions are my own; I was not compensated for this post, for more information please see my contact/policy page above. The Real Vintage and Good Food Market will be on at the Hexagon on the Sunday June 21^st! For more information on Binghams Brewery check out the website! Recipe was adapted from Cupcake Jemma’s recipe for Guinness Cupcakes in Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube The Cake Book.

This post was entered into these blogging challenges: 

Tea Time Treats theme cupcakes/fairycakes/muffins hosted by Lavender and Lovage with The Hedgecombers 

We Should Cocoa theme cupcakes hosted by Kerry Cooks with Tin and Thyme