“City of the Dead” Stout Cupcakes
Moist chocolate cupcakes infused with coffee Stout beer and topped with cream cheese frosting and crunchy maple bacon
Servings Prep Time
12cupcakes 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 30minutes
Servings Prep Time
12cupcakes 15minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 30minutes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
  • 1/2cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4cups sugar
  • 3/4tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1/2cup unsalted buttermelted, 1 stick
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons Modern Times Black House Stout*
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
  • 8ounces cream cheeseat room temperature
  • 4Tbsp butterat room temperature
  • 1/2tsp vanilla extract
  • Seeds from ½ a Vanilla beansplit and scraped out
  • 4cups powdered sugar
  • 3Tbsp Modern Times City of the Dead Nitro Stout*
Maple Bacon Garnish
  • 6ounces Uncured baconthick slices
  • 4Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or baking rack, and lay down slices of bacon to fit. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of bacon with maple syrup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking and flipping half way through. Bacon should be crispy and dark around edges. Set aside to cool on paper towels.
  2. Lower oven to 350°F. Line 12 cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, stout beer, and vanilla extract. (If the butter gets too cold and it separates, use a double boiler, setting the bowl on top, and whisk to heat just until it comes together again.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry in batches, beating with a standing or hand-held mixer on medium speed until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 20 seconds. Pour into the cupcake molds, filling about ¾ of the mold, and bake for 20-25 minutes. It is ready if you test with a toothpick and it comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. While the cupcakes are in the oven, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, use a mixer to blend together cream cheese, butter, vanilla and vanilla bean seeds. Add one tablespoon at a time of stout beer, mixing between additions. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well until it’s all incorporated. Scoop frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Cool in the refrigerator for a few minutes if it is very soft (not too long or it will harden).
  5. Frost the cupcakes by scooping the frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip. Swirl the frosting around the cupcake, starting from the middle and working your way outwards. Continue to spiral the frosting up like a pyramid until the cupcake is frosted.
  6. Cut bacon into one-inch pieces and use as garnish
Recipe Notes

Notes If not using bacon, cocoa nibs would be a nice substitute, accentuating the somewhat bitter cocoa/coffee flavors in the stout beers

*Or any of your favorite stout beers!