Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes

What is this, a recipe with frosting?! These were made for a friend's birthday, and knowing his love of whiskey I thought these would be just the ticket. These seemed to go down very well, the chocolate base with the whiskey syrup makes for a very moist cupcake. You can add more or less whiskey to taste, mine were fairly strong (to me anyway, who hates whiskey)  

The sprinkles were bought from Williams Sonoma in America, I thought it was about time to break them out. 

Makes 24 Cupcakes.

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp espresso powder
1 cup of boiling water
½ cup of sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
16 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs

Whiskey Syrup
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp whiskey

Frosting
8 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 cups icing sugar
6 tbsp whiskey 

Method

Cupcakes

Preheat oven 180C

Combine cocoa powder, espresso in small bowl. Add boiling water and whisk till smooth. Set aside to cool at room temperature, when cool whisk in sour cream and vanilla.

 Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, combine.

In a medium bowl combine butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add dry ingredients and sour cream mix slowly to the butter and sugar, beat sparingly.

Bake at 180C for about 18 minutes until done, they should be fairly flat topped. Cool in the pan for five minutes and then allow to fully cool on a wire rack.

Whiskey Frosting

Beat butter till light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar slowly. Mix in Whiskey until smooth.

Whiskey Syrup

Combine water and sugar in a small pan, heat gently stirring until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and add whiskey. Allow to cool to room temperature.


When cupcakes have cooled poke holes in tops with a fork, spread a teaspoon of whiskey syrup over. Allow to dry slightly before frosting.