Victory at Sea Peppermint Cupcakes

Beer Details

Beer Style: American Porter
10
60
Brewery: Ballast Point

Peppermint Phase

I have a sweet tooth and it is looking to bite down on some peppermint patties. It’s a weird phase which I have never experienced before. A box of Jr. Mints last less than one minute around me. It’s confusing and scary and unhealthy and… I’m going to continue feeding this addiction. Very convenient that this addiction comes at this time of the year, when peppermint can been seen everywhere.

I love Ballast Point beers and it is a shame that it took me so long to bake with them. The choice of beer today is Victory at Sea, a vanilla and coffee porter. Pitch black in color and smooth aromatic flavors, the moment it touches your lips, the beer goes great with sweets. Satisfying my need for more peppermint patties, I am going to create a peppermint filled chocolate mint cupcake with marzipan frosting.

Conclusion

This is the first time working with marzipan and it certainly won’t be the last. The first bite is overwhelmingly sweat and somewhat covers the chocolate cupcake. However, once you reach the peppermint filling in the center, you will certainly have a smile on your face.

And of course, if you make these peppermint cupcakes, let me know how it goes.

Peppermint Patties

Chiffon Chocolate Cupcakes

Marzipan

Victory at Sea Peppermint Cupcakes details

Yield

12 servings

Total Time

1 hour 10 minutes

Active Time

30 minutes

Difficulty

Medium

Victory at Sea Peppermint Cupcakes ingredients

4 ounces of flour (about half a cup)
1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 ¼ ounces of cocoa powder
5 large egg yolks
6 ounces of sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Victory at Sea Peppermint frosting ingredients

4 egg whites
½ teaspoon of cream of tartar
¼ cup of Ballast Point Victory at Sea
1 ½ cup of powdered sugar
1 ½ cup of almond meal
½ teaspoon of peppermint extract
½ teaspoon of almond extract
Food color (optional)
Crushed candy cane

Victory at Sea Peppermint Cupcakes directions

In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and cream. Use electronic mixture with to mix together. It will look very grainy, but continue mixing until smooth and sticky. If it is very dry, add more cream. Wrap filling in plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In another medium bowl, mix cocoa powder and slightly warm beer. In standing mixer, combine eggs yolks and 5 ounces of sugar and whisk together until it reaches a ribbony-type consistency. Add cocoa powder, vegetable oil, almond and peppermint extract to the eggs and continue whisking. Add dry ingredients to the mixer. Set aside.
In another bowl, add eggs and cream of tartar and whisk together until foamy. Add remaining sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
Cupcake time: preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit and place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
Slowly add egg whites to batter, a little at a time, and continue whisking until combined. Fill ¾ of the cupcake liners with batter. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
I am going to use a cupcake corer that I found at an arts and crafts store. But you guys are smart and have the ingenuity to core your cupcakes. Take the cupcake corer and press down in the center o the cupcake. Once pressed down, twist it a little bit and lift. The center of the cupcake is now removed. Remove your filling from the fridge. With your hand, take small chuck of the filling and roll it out with your hands. Insert the filling into the hole. Take the cored part of the cupcake, cut the top off, and place it back onto the top of the cupcake.
Frosting time: add almond meal and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse for a minute. Add honey, extracts and the egg white into the food processor and pulse for two more minutes.
Place marzipan in a ziplock bag. Cut the tip of the bag. Squeeze the bag slowly, allowing frosting to slowly come out. Design your cupcakes. Take a candy cane and crush it, keeping it somewhat coarse. Sprinkle crushed peppermints on top of your cupcakes.

Brewery Info