If you love beer you'll love these cupcakes

                                                         Scott Beveridge photo

As someone who loves craft beer paired with chocolate, the publisher of Travel with a Beveridge decided he must try beer cupcakes. And, as someone who prefers lazy, easy recipes, he decided to employ Betty Crocker and other store-bought ingredients to make beer cupcakes AND get his friend Mary to do most of the work in her kitchen.

                                                        Scott Beveridge photo

Everyone raved about them, so much so that the editor at his real job decided to try them herself. She received identical accolades from the newsroom.

By Liz Rogers
Observer-Reporter Editor

My inspiration came after colleague Scott Beveridge mentioned he’d baked beer cupcakes to rave reviews simply by using a boxed mix and substituting Samuel Smith Imperial Stout for the water.

"Best cupcakes ever," he said.

I decided to try it for myself, but used Samuel Adams Imperial Stout instead.

After achieving similar results, I set out to see how stout would perform in a scratch recipe.

I adapted Food Network chef Dave Lieberman’s recipe (I swapped Samuel Smith Imperial Stout for the Guinness), and ended up with amazingly moist results.

If you like beer, you’ll love these: The flavor of the beer comes shining through but isn’t too overwhelming.

I skipped his frosting recipe and made my own from butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, which complemented the cake quite nicely.

A garnish of miniature pretzels provided a nice sweet and salty touch to this beer lovers’ dream.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes. Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch fine salt
1 bottle stout beer (I used 11.2 ounces Samuel Smith)
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Lightly grease 24 muffin tins. Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

(The Liz Rogers recipe was first published in the Observer-Reporter)