The Culinary Couple

Last weekend we hosted an apartment full of friends for Penn State football. Conveniently, it was also Nick’s 27th birthday. It was cold and rainy at the tailgate, and the Nittany Lions lost to the Hawkeyes, but at least we had stout cupcakes to consume!

This is the first recipe we made from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes cookbook, which we received as a shower gift a few months ago. Emily was hesitant to pour a pint of Guinness into her cupcake batter, but she knew Nick would love it. And, really, the cupcakes taste more like spice cake or gingerbread than beer. The stout simply helps to make them more moist and bold.

Cupcake Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 t plus 1/8 t baking soda
• 1 3/4 t baking powder
• 1 1/4 t salt
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1 1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg (use less if you’re not using fresh)
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups unsulfered molasses
• 1/2 cup plus 1 T light brown sugar
• 2 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 T plus 1 t orange zest
• 1 1/4 cups (10 oz) Guinness, poured and settled

Cupcake Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease muffin tin (or line with paper).
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat oil, molasses, brown sugar, whole eggs plus yolk, zest, and stout until combined, Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until combined.
4. Pour batter, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place onto wire racks to cool completely.

Glaze Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup Guinness, poured and settled

Glaze Directions

1. Whisk together until combined. Spoon over cupcakes and let set.

In addition to the cupcakes, Emily gave Nick a gift wrapped with red ribbon. Inside was a cuff link display case and cuff links in the shape of Scrabble pieces. (Gifts from two of Emily’s favorite online shopping sources: Red Envelope and Etsy.)

Happy birthday to the guy who is fond of men’s accessories, dark beer, and cupcakes!

(We’re sorry there is not a photo of the finished cupcakes … they were eaten too fast!)

And if you’re a fan of the peanut butter and chocolate combination, check out Nick’s 26th birthday cake.

(recipe from Martha Stewart)