Beer and Pretzel Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting, caramel drizzle, and pretzel pieces as garnish, sitting in a black and white patterned cupcake liner on a light-colored surface
Kim Simons
Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 70 minutes
24 servings
Rich chocolate cupcakes infused with stout beer, filled with caramel, topped with a creamy chocolate stout buttercream frosting, and garnished with crushed pretzels for a sweet and salty finish.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

Chocolate cake mix
1 box (13.25-16 ounces)
Chocolate instant pudding
1 box (3.4 ounces)
Vegetable oil
1⁄2 cup
Eggs
4 large
Beer (stout)
1 cup

Frosting

Powdered sugar
4 cups
Unsweetened cocoa
1⁄2 cup
Butter
1 cup (at room temperature)
Shortening
1 cup
Beer (stout)
3⁄4-1 cup
Pretzel crumbs
garnish

Instructions

  • Make the cupcakes

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Line the cupcake tins with paper cups.
    • In a stand mixer, add cake mix, pudding, oil and eggs. Gradually add the beer to the mixture. Mix until combined, beating for about a minute.
      A stand mixer bowl with cake mix and pudding powder, eggs being poured in from a glass measuring cup
    • Spoon batter into cupcake tins, filling about 3⁄4 of the way.
      Batter being spooned into cupcake liners
    • Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until a tester in the center comes out clean.
      A muffin tin of chocolate cupcakes baking on a wire rack, still in their paper liners
    • Let cool completely before frosting.
      Baked chocolate cupcakes in a dark muffin tin cooling on a light countertop

  • Make the chocolate stout buttercream frosting

    • Combine sugar, butter, shortening, cocoa and 1⁄2 of the stout in a stand mixer.
      A glass bowl of thick dark chocolate buttercream frosting being mixed with a wire whisk
    • Mix on medium speed, adding more stout until you get a creamy consistency. (If frosting is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of stout and mix well.)
    • Mix on high speed for 4 minutes.

  • Assemble the cupcakes

    • Using a piping bag filled with your favorite caramel sauce and a cupcake-filling tip, fill the centers of all cupcakes.
      Caramel sauce in a squeeze bottle
    • Use a piping bag filled with stout buttercream and a decorative tip to decorate the cupcakes.
      A hand piping chocolate stout buttercream frosting piping bag onto a cupcake in a black-and-white patterned liner
    • Garnish cupcake tops with crushed pretzels.
  • Enjoy!