Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes

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It has been a while since I blogged, 2 weeks, oops! So stay tuned this week, hopefully I can catch up now that the Rock 'n' Roll Vancouver double race weekend is done.

I made these a few weeks ago with a friend and they turned out great. We did a variation on a recipe I found on Pinterest. The original recipe has a pecan pie filling center, which we skipped and they were still delicious! In fact, I might have found them too sweet and rich otherwise.

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 cup bourbon
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Butter Pecan Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup finely chopped raw pecans + 18 whole pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together the bourbon, vegetable oil and cocoa powder until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream with an electric mixer. Slowly add bourbon and cocoa mixture. Combine on medium speed until silky and smooth. Beat in the sugar.

Slowly add flour, salt and baking soda, combining on low speed until just incorporated.

Fill baking cups three-fourths full. Bake for about 18-22 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling, at least 2 hours or covered overnight.

To make the frosting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium sauce pan, melt together 1/4 cup butter, cream, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl in the freezer (or fridge for longer) for 15-20 minutes or until cool.

In a bowl whisk together the bourbon, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add pecans and stir to coat evenly. Transfer nuts to prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted. Remove and toss the pecans with 1 tablespoon butter. Allow to cool 10 minutes, set aside.

Now grab the cooled butter mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup room temperature butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the bowl and beat together until well combined. Mix in about 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans. If the frosting is not stiff enough to frost the cupcakes place it in the fridge for 30 20-30 minutes or the freezer for 5-15 minutes. Then remove and whip it for a few seconds to get everything smooth again.