Green Beer Cupcakes

The first time I heard the words Green beer was a couple years ago while watching the Real World. Yes, I admit it, I watch The Real World. It's one of those shows that I don't tell people I watch, kind of a guilty pleasure. Anyways, it was St. Patricks Day and the guy had said something about how all of his friends back home would drink green beer all day, starting at 5 a.m.

When I was thinking a month or two ago about what St. Patricks Day cupcakes I wanted to make, all I kept finding was green velvet cupcakes or Irish car bomb cupcakes. So the wheels in my head started turning and I thought back to that episode of Real World and decided I was going to make a green beer cupcake for the green holiday.

I wanted the cupcake to taste like beer but keep its bright green color, which a stout beer couldn't do. So instead I used Blue Moon since it's a Belgian white beer, which I also used for the buttercream, which oh my word, I could of sworn I was in heaven.

Definitely tastes like beer but with a little sweetness to it. I think if I make this frosting again I'm going to add a tablespoon of flour (I know that sounds kind of odd in the frosting) but it's supposed to help bind it together more and the frosting is on the softer side.

I adapted Bakerella's Green Velvet Cupcakes to green beer cupcakes and I adapted the buttercream recipe from here. 

Green Beer Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup beer
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 bottle liquid green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix liquid ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, and add wet ingredients, whisk together. 

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Let sit in the pan for 10 minutes then remove cupcakes and let fully cool on a cooling rack. 

Beer Buttercream

1 stick butter

3-5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup beer

Cream the butter and slowly start adding in the powdered sugar. Pour in the beer and fully fix then continue to add powdered sugar until light and fluffy. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookie dough? (Okay I can name a few) but when I found this recipe, I couldn't resist. I have always been a secret cookie dough fanatic. I would constantly sneak a spoonful of dough into my mouth. So for any cookie dough fanatic, these cupcakes would be a perfect little treat!

Anyways, I chose to make these little gems this past week because I have been constantly questioned on when I'm going to make them (along with the Tiramisu, but those are coming next week) so I finally caved and started on my journey.

See I have started a notebook with a list of cupcakes I want to make. Pinterest isn't helping this list get any shorter either, so many great recipes all in one place. Ok back to the notebook. It usually is sitting out in the open and people lately have been looking through it saying "wow make those" and the cookie dough cupcakes have probably gotten the most votes of which cupcakes I should make next.

The recipe I adapted these from I originally found of Bakeat 350 (which has the recipe I used for the brown sugar frosting) and the cupcake recipe can be found here.

If you make these cupcakes however, I would recommend doubling the recipe. It usually takes me a couple days for all the cupcakes I baked to be consumed (I post on Facebook that I have cupcakes and friends come enjoy them, like taste testers) but these cupcakes disappeared in less than 12 hours. It was crazy. I was even getting texts the next day asking if I had more.

My main concern was that they weren't going to taste like cookie dough (since most things turned into a cupcake don't taste exactly like the same) however, these do! I think it's the cookie dough filling that makes the cupcakes. It's a cookie dough that is safe to eat without cooking, thanks to no eggs!

The components of the cupcakes are.. ok by themselves. But when the cupcakes are filled with the cookie dough filling and topped with the brown sugar frosting (which by the way is AMAZING, possibly putting it on oatmeal cookie cupcakes in the next few weeks) they are perfection. I think these may be my favorite cupcake I have made so far.

But without further ado (every time I say that I feel like I'm giving a fancy shmancy speech) here is the cupcake recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

makes 16 cupcakes

• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 tbsp molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together oil, sugar and molasses. Add eggs, 1 at a time, fully beating after each. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together baking powder, baking soda, flour, and salt.

Add half of the dry ingredients and fully mix into the sugar mixture, then add half of the milk and fully mix. Repeat.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips then divide into baking cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until tops are browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and let fully cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Filling

• 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tbsp molasses
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp flour
• 7.5 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1/8 cup mini chocolate chips

In a medium bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and molasses.

Mix in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

Stir in the chocolate chips. This filling will be extremely thick but softens up after going into the cupcakes.

Brown Sugar Buttercream

• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 6 tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp milk
• 1 1/4 tsp vanilla

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the salt, milk, and vanilla. Beat in the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time until fully combined and smooth. Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Cupcakes

I grew up on peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Yes I had other things for lunch that were good, but I always remember the peanut butter and honey sandwiches that my dad would make.

Those and cheese sandwiches (lots of mayo on the bread and slices of cheddar cheese, still one of my favorites). But I never could (and still can't, unfortunately) make them anything like my dad could (the peanut butter and honey sandwiches that is.)

Always the perfect amount of peanut butter to honey ratio. And if you would let it sit for a while, the honey would soak into the bread and crisp up a bit. Delicious.

When I was searching through recipes for honey cupcakes with honey buttercream, I saw a recipe with peanut butter frosting.

All I could think of was peanut butter and honey sandwiches.

And I had to turn it into a cupcake.

However, my first attempt turned out like complete crap. I tried to make peanut butter cupcakes and they didn’t rise, at ALL. I was so disappointed. Especially since when people started finding out on Facebook I was making peanut butter and honey cupcakes, they got just as excited as I was.

Then I saw a recipe for peanut butter and banana cupcakes.

I had never had the flavor combination before, but I knew it was a popular one. And, well, I got a good reaction to the idea, so I thought why not give it a go. And let me tell you. They were amazing! The perfect flavor combination. So simple, yet so amazing together. Mouthwatering.

I think I’m going to have to try the sandwich form soon.

If I make these cupcakes again however, I would add another banana (I was told by one of my taste testers that she would like a little more banana) however, I’m going to post the recipe that I used.

I was also told by a few that the honey buttercream was a little too sweet for their taste (I however thought it was perfect) but if you don’t like a sweeter frosting, use less honey.

The blog I adapted the recipe from has disappeared (I was extremely confused) and the buttercream recipe I used was found here.

I hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as I did! When I made the frosting it was only enough for 12 cupcakes so I haven't made the second batch quite yet, but the pictures will be posted later today. 

Peanut Butter and Banana Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon molasses
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine bananas, peanut butter, and vanilla in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, and molasses with a stand mixer, or electric hand mixer, until well combined. Beat in the vegetable oil.

Next, pour the peanut butter and banana mixture into the sugar mixture and beat the mixture until creamy.

Add in the baking powder, salt, half of the flour, and half of the milk, combine. Add in the rest of the flour and milk and fully combine.

Scoop the batter into cupcake liners and fill each ¾ of the way full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and let fully cool before frosting.

Honey Buttercream

• 3 sticks butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 5 cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter with an electric mixer then add in the honey and beat well. Beat in the powdered sugar, about ½ a cup at a time, making sure all is evenly combined.