Vegan Guinness Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Ganache
My mom recently put in a request for this cake for the birthday of a dear friend and colleague who is a fan of all things Irish (including, I hope, Irish whiskey ganache).
“By the way” she asked, “is it vegan?”
I ran through the ingredients in my head: butter, eggs, sour cream, more butter, heavy cream, Bailey’s Irish Cream.
“No Mom, it’s definitely not vegan.”
Because the birthday gal is not vegan, I refused to sacrifice the integrity of the original cake. I did, however, agree to make a vegan alternative as well.
Although I’ve made some spin on this cake three times now, this was the first time I’d attempted to veganize it. And I have to say, I really loved the result (yes, I always sample what I cook. No exceptions!) The key to vegan cooking is to use quality ingredients. Here’s the thing: when it comes to baking, butter tastes awesome. If you’re going to remove butter, you need to have to replace it with something even more awesome. My solution is always coconut oil. It adds depth and a subtle sweetness without imparting a coconut flavor. I also used a very high quality cocoa powder spiked with cinnamon and cayenne to give it a little somethin’ somethin.’ I loved how the texture of these cupcakes and that the bitterness of the Guinness really came through.
For the frosting, I used more coconut oil and cocoa powder, sweetened with maple syrup. Real maple syrup; no using that Log Cabin shit. And of course, in keeping true to the original recipe I spiked the ganache with Irish whiskey! These are seriously chocolatey cupcakes and they got good reviews from our chocolate loving home: Courtney couldn’t believe they were vegan and I thought they quite frankly put Sticky Fingers to shame.
Vegan Guinness Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Ganache
For the Cupcakes
Inspired by Chef Chloe
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Guinness extra stout beer (other kinds aren’t vegan!)
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine brown sugar, Guinness, coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture a bit at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each pour.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes are set. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- 3/4 cup raw cacao powder (can use dark cocoa powder in a pinch)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup pure maple syrup (or more depending on how sweet you want it)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2-3 tbsp Irish whiskey
- Almond milk, as needed to thin
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Add additional syrup as desired. Add almond milk as needed to get a proper frosting consistency. This should be quite fudgy and thick.
