Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting

Cupcakes, chocolate and beer

This Father’s Day why not whip up a batch of Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting for Dad.  Katie has you covered with her award winning recipe below.

My Be Well Story: Katie Brunke, OHEA cupcake contest first runner up

Katie Brunke - OHEA cupcake contest winnerKatie Brunke is a talented baker and she has two winning recipes to prove it.

Last year, the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) hosted a cookie contest at the Ontario Home Economics Association (OHEA) conference. Katie, a second year student in Nutrition and Food program at Ryerson University at the time, won first place with her Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies.

Cupcake Contest with celebrity judge

This year, MCGA hosted a cupcake contest at OHEA’s conference. Katie entered again and her Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting came in as the first runner up. Both contests were blind judged, this year by Pay Chen, former Winnipeg TV host, and Ellen Pruden, Education and Promotion Manager at MCGA.

Katie’s idea for her stout cupcakes was a seasonal inspiration. “I started thinking about the recipe when it was still cold outside,” she points out. “I like stouts and I knew chocolate pairs well with stout with it so I rolled with it.”

Six times a charm

Roll with it she did. It took her six batches to perfect her recipe. She adapted the recipe every batch trying to get the right consistency. The most unique spice in the cupcake is licorice, which she sourced from a licorice tea. She also played with the chocolate a bit. “The first cake was more of a spice cake so I looked for ways to make it more chocolatey,” she explains.

The stout Katie’s recipe calls for is one of her favourites –Guinness. She used a local Toronto stout, Mill Street Cobblestone, in one variation of the recipe but decided on Guinness in the end because it is more accessible outside of Toronto.

Everyone needs a mentor

Katie, now in her third year of Nutrition and Food program, has learned a lot since last year and it’s no wonder. Her mentor is Mairlyn Smith. Katie has volunteered with Mairlyn at OHEA and has picked up a lot of tips from her on recipe testing and food styling. Katie has even accompanied Mairlyn to Cityline, the Canadian daytime show Mairlyn frequents as a regular guest expert.

Everyone needs an idol

Besides her mentor, she also looks up to Canadian chef, Lynn Crawford. “Her recipes are delicious and I’m lucky enough to have one of her restaurants in my neighbourhood,” she says. She also enjoys watching Lynn on her Food Network show “Pitchin’ In” and loves her focus on local ingredients. She admires how Lynn “engages the communities she is in, bringing people together with food, and showcases the processes involved from farm to table.”

Personal goals and passion

Last year, Katie told us her career goal was to become a dietitian. Her goal remains the same. She plans to stay involved with OHEA; she will be the student liaison from her program for OHEA next year.

Will she attempt to win the MCGA baking contest a third year in a row next year? “I would definitely enter again” Katie grins. “It’s a good experience.”

Be Well…Wendy

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting | Canola Recipes

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (500 mL)
1 cup granulated sugar (250 mL)
1 cup light brown sugar (250 mL)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda (7 mL)
3/4 tsp salt (4 mL)
3/4 tsp Stash Licorice Spice (approximately 1 finely ground tea bag) (4 mL)
1 cup Guinness (250 mL)
1 cup canola oil (250 mL)
3/4 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder (175 mL)
2 eggs (2 )
2/3 cups 5% sour cream (150 mL)

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two cupcake pans with 24 large paper cups.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and licorice spice into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. Whisk together Guinness and canola oil in a medium sized bowl. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream to blend.
5. Add stout mixture to egg mixture and beat until incorporated.
6. Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl, and beat until incorporated.
7. Fill lined cupcake pans halfway with batter. Bake for 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cupcake comes out clean.

Mocha Frosting Ingredients:

3/4 cups canola margarine (175 mL)
4 cups icing sugar (1 L)
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp espresso powder (20 mL)
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder (20 mL)
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (75 mL)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (2 mL)
Dark chocolate curls

Mocha Frosting Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat margarine until fluffy in a large bowl.
2. Add icing sugar in stages, alternating with almond milk.
3. Add cocoa, espresso, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
4. Once cupcakes have cooled, load frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe each cupcake, beginning from the edge of the cupcake and working in a circular motion towards the centre.
5. Garnish with chocolate curls.