The Mancake 2.0: Chocolate Beer Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

{{ Read more She Bakes! || About She Bakes! || She Bakes! Photos }}

---

For last year’s Superbowl, I made these cute maple bacon cupcakes. So, when the boy suggested an impromptu Superbowl gathering at his place on Saturday night; I immediately promised our friends Superbowl cupcakes – specifically, those aforementioned maple bacon cupcakes. But, then I got excited daydreaming  about all the possibilities out there for an epic Mancake 2.0 – and hence, the Chocolate Beer Cupcake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Bacon “Sprinkles” was born.

And no, my friends did not complain that they weren’t the promised maple bacon cupcakes of last year – and for the record, both the boy and I thought the Mancake 2.0 was far tastier than the Mancake.

2012 Superbowl cupcakes = huge success.

One of my complaints when I made my Irish Car Bomb cupcakes last year was that the cupcake lacked the beer flavour I’d been hoping for, so I went on the hunt for a) a better recipe for the beer cake and b) a better stout to make it with.

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes
Bake 16-18 minutes at 350° || Makes 24

• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 350 ml stout beer (this is one bottle or ~3/4 of a tall boy) – I used Faxe 10% Extra Strong
• 1 stick butter (melted)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup light sour cream

- DRY MIX: Combine the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda (set aside)
- WET MIX: Combine the beer, butter, and vanilla extract – mix well.
- Add the eggs to the wet mix one at a time (mix after each)
- Add the sour cream to the wet mix
- Pour the dry mix into the wet mix slowly, mixing as you pour

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 12 ounces softened light cream cheese
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup

- Cream the shortening and cream cheese together
- Add the icing sugar gradually, mixing as you go
- Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, try it, and add up to 2 more if you’d like (I used 4)

Bacon Sprinkles

• Bacon – and lots of it.

- Fry the bacon up so it’s nice and crispy (or not-so-crispy if you’re like my boyfriend and like it less charred than I do ;)
- Set aside to cool
- Finely dice/crumble the bacon so you have tiny sprinkle-like shards
- Or, just buy bacon bits if you’re feeling a bit lazy or pressed for time ;)

 

Once baked, set the cupcakes aside to cool, and then pipe the icing on the cupcakes any way you want – I went with the standard 1M swirls. And, for the (deliciously awesome) finishing touch – sprinkle the bacon bits (and LOTS of them) on top. Serve to your guests, and, if they’re a bunch of football-and-beer-loving men (or women!) keep extra bacon on hand. My boyfriend routinely topped his mancakes with “M’OOOORE BACON! *insert manly grumble here*”

Curious about the nutritional info? Click here!

---

Tagged as: bacon, bacon sprinkles, beer cupcake, chocolate beer cupcake, mancake, mancake 2.0, mancake recipe, manly cupcake, maple and beer cupcake, maple cream cheese frosting, superbowl cupcake recipe, superbowl cupcakes