Stout Float Cupcakes with Beer Syrup Drizzle

With Billy's love for beer and brewing, I think that it has finally seeped its way into my heart as well, for its different beloved qualities. Although I can appreciate its different tastes, and notes, I still can't finish my own glass, its rather just sips and handing it back to my hunny. Since I don't drink it like a normal person, I still am fond of it and wanted to use it in something I'd really appreciate. So I thought beer might be a great liquid substitution in cupcakes. And then the image in my February issue of Bon Apetit's Chocolate Stout Float popped into my mind. So I combined my wandering ideas (beer appreciation, cupcakes, stout ice cream float), and made Stout Float Cupcakes with Beer Syrup Drizzle.

Stout Float Cupcakes with Beer Syrup Drizzle

Yield: Makes about 12-14 cupcakes
Cook's Note: I followed her recipe but substituted beer in for root beer. I also created a chocolate beer bottom layer to imitate the appearance of a chocolate stout float.
Inspired by/Adapted from Baking Bite's Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Beer Syrup:

12 oz Stout (We used Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout)

6 tbsp sugar

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Cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

3 tbsp cocoa powder

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Beer Syrup Drizzle:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp beer syrup

1 tbsp water

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Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Cupcake Process: 

1) Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2) In a small saucepan bring beer and sugar to a boil, reduce temperature to medium, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Once beer is syrupy, turn off heat and set aside. (You won't use it all for the recipe, only 1/3 cup.)

3) In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. 

4) In another bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar, making sure there aren't any clumps. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, 1/3 cup of the beer syrup, and milk. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.

5) Remove about 1 1/4 cups of batter into a separate bowl. Add cocoa powder and stir until just combined.

6) Evenly distribute chocolate batter among each paper liner in prepared tin (about 2 tbsp each). Use a spatula to level out the chocolate layer.

7) Evenly distribute the rest of the regular batter on top of the chocolate bottom layer, the batter should fill each cup about 3/4 full. Use a clean spatula to level out each cupcake.

8) Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack.

Beer Syrup Drizzle:

While cupcakes are baking, whisk together powdered sugar, beer syrup, and water until mixture is smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

Assemble:
Add a scoop of ice cream to each cupcake and finish with the beer syrup drizzle.