One of my favorite cooking blogs is Smitten Kitchen. Not only do I really like reading her blog, it is also my first stop when looking for a good recipe for a baked good from scratch. About two years ago she made Car Bomb Cupcakes and since I am always a fan of adding alcohol to baked goods, I had to try it. Guinness cake, whiskey ganache filling, topped with Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting? How could that not be amazing?
The first time I found the recipe it was just in time for Superbowl so I whipped some up for the party we were going to. I don’t think there were any left by the end of the game. They were clearly a big hit then, and every time I made them again. I even modified it to make a gigantic cupcake cake since bigger is better.
The first time I found the recipe it was just in time for Superbowl so I whipped some up for the party we were going to. I don’t think there were any left by the end of the game. They were clearly a big hit then, and every time I made them again. I even modified it to make a gigantic cupcake cake since bigger is better.
Last year I made them for the Superbowl again. I wasn’t sure I wanted to make them again this year. I mean they are great, but I like to expand and try new things.
Well, during a happy hour with some of Mr. G’s coworkers (same night as this) I asked them if I should make the cupcakes again or something else. One friend in particular couldn’t decide between the cupcakes and a chocolate trifle I had made.
I am sure everyone has had one of these at some point in their life: brownies, chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, cool whip, repeat. It’s very good. Look at the ingredients, how could it not be? But it is also extremely easy to make and not a challenge or creative at all. I couldn’t believe that people would actually want this over something more complex, something made from scratch.
Lightbulb: take the basics of the cupcakes and turn them into a trifle. It would take a little bit of tweaking of the car bomb recipe, but it would be totally doable.
Success was found again.
I made the cake and ganache pretty close to the recipe here. I didn’t want to do the Bailey’s frosting though, that would be too sweet. But there was no way I would be using cool whip. The plan was to whip up some heavy whipping cream, add a little sugar and some Baileys. It turned out amazing. I have to say this Bailey’s whipped cream is one of the best things I have ever taste and I will need to come up with an excuse to make it again soon.
I got a little carried away with pictures.
Car Bomb Trifle
adapted from Smitten Kitchen Car Bomb Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
⅔ cup sour cream
Ganache Filling
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 ⅓ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 mini bottle whiskey
Whipped Cream
3 cups heavy cream
⅔ cup sugar
4 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring 1 cup Guinness and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.
Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
Grease and flour two 8x8 cake pans. Divide batter among the pans. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes on a rack completely.
While the cake is baking, make the ganache. Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth.
Add the butter and stir until combined.
Add whiskey and stir until combined. Set aside to cool.
Assembling the trifle.
Break the cake into pieces and cover the bottom of your trifle dish. Pour half the ganache over the cake and gently spread it around.
Add a little over a ⅓ of the whip cream on top of the ganache.
Repeat. Be gentle while placing the second layer of cake, you don’t want to mash down the layers you already have.
Use the rest of the whip cream on the top, letting it pile up over the edge of the trifle dish for a better effect.
Try to guess the team I was rooting for??
And this is what we came from the party with....think people liked it?
Why don't you ever cook me delicious trifles?
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