Beer Cupcakes

These Beer Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for any man in your life. Classic cupcakes pair up with the traditional flavor of beer and pub treats such as peanuts and pretzels to make the ultimate man-treat. Perfect for Father’s Day or any day you just feel like treating the men in your life to something unique. 

I’ve never gotten the impression that the men in my life desire anything special. Men are usually pretty great about just going with the flow and getting what they need as they need it. Plus, it’s not common to see men get overly excited about things and if they do, the most you’ll see reaction wise is an, “Oh, cool!” Despite their lack of excitement on the outside, they definitely get excited when you think about them and the things they love.

That’s why I made these Craft Beer Cupcakes - to show the men in my life just how special they are. I wanted them to know that I pay attention to the things they enjoy and took time to craft them something special. That just so happened to turn into Father’s Day cupcakes that captured a few of the manlier things in life. The cupcakes were a huge hit, which is why I thought you might want to try them for yourself.

This is the photo from the original post showcasing the beer used.

What's the best beer to use

I like to use a strong IPA or stout in these cupcakes so that the flavor really comes out, however any beer will work. My favorite is Stone IPA. 

How to Make Beer Cupcakes

1. Prepare oven and pan - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the cavities of a muffin tin with cupcake liners. 
2. Prepare the batter - In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine flour, salt, and baking soda.Add the egg to the sugar mixture and mix well before adding in the beer and vanilla, then mixing well again. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture a bit at a time until fully incorporated. 
3. Bake - Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full and bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. 
4. Prepare the frosting - In a large bowl, using a mixer, cream together the sugar and cream cheese before adding in the powdered sugar and milk - beating on low for a few minutes. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes then sprinkle with crushed pretzels and peanuts.
5. Prepare the ganache - In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the ganache and heat it for 30 seconds then in 10-second intervals, stirring in between until the mixture is smooth. Place in a bag, snip off the corner, and drizzle over the cupcakes. 
6. Cool and serve - Allow the cupcakes a few minutes to cool and ganache to dry a bit then serve and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Use the toppings you choose - If you don’t prefer the pretzels and peanuts as a topping, you can skip them or add your own toppings.
• Don’t over mix  - When mixing the batter for the Father’s Day cupcakes, don’t over mix the batter when incorporating the flour. You don’t want to add too much air to the batter.
• Use other flavored chips - For the ganache, if you want to mix up the flavor combinations, you can use other flavored chips instead of chocolate. For example, butterscotch, white chocolate, peanut butter, etc. Whatever you prefer. 
• Let the cupcakes cool - Before adding the frosting, let the cupcakes cool off. If you don’t, the frosting will start to melt and your cupcakes won’t turn out with that “Pinterest perfect” look you’re going for. 

Common Questions About Beer Cupcakes

Does Beer Bake Out of Cupcakes?

Usually, when cooking with alcohol, a good portion of it burns off in the process. However, this is a misnomer since it depends on how long the recipe is cooked for on whether or not all of it is cooked out. After about 15 minutes of baking, around 60% of alcohol is cooked out of a baked item. Since these cupcakes bake for about 15 minutes, you’ll find that only about 60% of the alcohol is baked away. 

If you fell in love with these Beer Cupcakes just as much as we did, let me know in the comments below! 

Post photos have been updated and reshot by the wonderful Samara From Scratch. 

More Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love:

• Churro Cupcakes
• Pink Champagne Cupcakes
• Bourbon Peach Streusel Cupcakes
• Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Print

Beer Cupcakes

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

 

Cupcakes spiked with IPA then topped with pretzels and peanuts for the perfect "man" cake!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beer in cupcakes, fathers day cupcakes

Servings: 10 cupcakes

Author: Jackie

Ingredients

• ½ cup melted butter
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup craft beer
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 4 ounces unsalted butter , softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ cup crushed pretzels
• ¼ cup roasted , salted peanuts

Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 1 cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. In the bowl of your mixer or a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Add egg to sugar/butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
5. Add vanilla and beer and mix.
6. Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture mixing until just combined. Do not over mix.
7. Fill liners ⅔ of a way full.
8. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a knife is inserted and when removed is clean.

Frosting

1. Cream cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
2. Turn mixer to low and beat in powdered sugar and milk.
3. Once combined, beat on high for 5 minutes.
4. Pipe or spread frosting onto the cupcakes.
5. Top with crushed pretzels and peanuts.

Ganache

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips, butter, and cream and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for 10 second increments until completely melted.
2. Let cool for a few minutes then place in ziploc bag and snip off the corner.
3. Drizzle over cupcakes.