Gingerbread with brown sugar buttercream frosting

Let's pretend this is an artsy shot and not one that I took because I still don't understand the finer techniques of a point-&-shoot digital camera.

My name is Sarah and I bake square cakes. I don't bake them to be cool or different. I bake them, simply, because I have no round cake pans. I know, I should get some and conform. Boo.

I do have a cake stand, but it's nestled safely in my basement. I once had a lovely three tiered cookie stand that was unsafely perched atop the refrigerator. Strangely enough, it came crashing down (on me) one fateful, glass-filled day. So, you see, I could use the cake stand, but really, it must be saved from my treacherous grasp and wayward storage.

Since we've already discussed a few of my faults, let's move on to another.

I don't know when to quit.



Too much of a good thing actually exists.

I know! I was shocked, too.

I met this too-good thing today in the form of delicious gingerbread doused with brown sugar buttercream. Sounds awesome in theory, right? Spicy cake topped with a lovely condiment. But no, it's actually just too much. Separately, they are excellent, which is why I am sharing these recipes. Don't blame them for my excessive behavior.

But I ask you, implore you, beg you- DO NOT BE LIKE ME. Don't combine them. Leave the tender spiced cake alone. Pair the boldly sugared buttercream with another cake.



Now, I am left with a conundrum. As you see, I only ate a small square of this cake. I should not eat anymore, for reasons already discussed. Do I send this cake with the husband to work? It's not much to look at. Decisions, decisions.

Adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book Guinness Gingerbread

2 cups of Killians Irish Red beer, reduced to 1 cup
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 8 inch square Pyrex baking dishes.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the reduced beer, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and canola oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Batter will be very wet.

Split the batter between the two pans. Place on the middle rack and bake 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.


Brown sugar buttercream

Soften 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter. Measure out 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar. Blitz in mixer with 2-3 tablespoons cream until fully combined.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

I'm not sure if we've covered this yet, but I'm not Irish. In fact, I'm not sure what I am at all. Does Texan count? The only thing my grandmother told me was the I am 1/64 Cherokee Indian. While this doesn't guarantee me a spot on the reservation, it is a nifty fact!

On this, the greenest & drunkest of all days, I think it's fair to say that everyone has a bit of the Blarney in them.

And after you eat one of these naughty little cuppies, you'll have a bit of booze in you, too.


Melt two sticks of butter over low heat. Look at the burner underneath- neat, huh?


Measure out 3/4 cup of coffee leftover from your morning brew. Add 1 oz. Kahlua and 1 oz. whiskey.


You can pretend the whiskey is authentic and Bushmills, but I'm not much for the hard stuff. This is leftover from Thanksgiving- Uncle Jim's drink of choice. I posed them next to the Leg Lamp (name that movie!) nightlight- it added to the ambiance.


Combine your flour, white sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Stir well to combine.


In a glass measuring cup, measure out buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.


After the butter is melted, add the coffee & liquor mixture and stir to combine.


Add the butter/coffee mixture to the flour and stir gently. You just want to cool the butter so you don't scramble the eggs when you add them.


Add the egg/buttermilk mixture to the bowl and stir gently until fully combined.



Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Using 1/3 cup measure, fill the cups until they are almost full. Or, if you're like me, fill them all the way to the top. Whoops. I ended up with 16 cupcakes.


Bake 20-25 minutes. You want a toothpick to come out clean and the tops to spring back when you touch them. Combine 1 tablespoon Kahlua and 1 tablespoon whiskey in a bowl and brush onto the tops of each baked cupcake while they're still warm. You want them to be nice and liquored up.


While the cupcakes are cooling, start the frosting. Dump the softened butter, powdered sugar, whiskey, and Kahlua into the Kitchen-Aid. Start the mixer on low and then ramp it up and really get it going on high.


See...fluffy!


Frost the cupcakes generously. I tried to decorate mine with chocolate covered espresso beans, but neither the local Starbucks or specialty foods store had them- what's up with that?? I settled for chocolate covered cacao nibs. Also delicious.

One last confession: these are hands down the best baked treats I've EVER made.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes
adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cake recipe

2 cups flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup coffee
1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. whiskey
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cupcake tin.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugars, and salt. Set aside.

Melt butter over low heat. Once it's melted, add the coffee, Kahlua, & whiskey. Stir to combine.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.

Add the coffee/butter mixture to the flour and gently stir to cool the butter. Then, add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl and stir gently until it's completely combined.

Using a 1/3 cup measure, fill each cupcake liner with batter until it's almost full.

Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and top springs back when pressed.

While still warm, brush the tops with 1 tablespoon whiskey and 1 tablespoon Kahlua.

Boozy Buttercream Frosting
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp Kahlua

In a Kitchen Aid mixer, dump all ingredients. Start the mixer on low until the butter is incorporated and then ramp it up to medium high. Mix until fluffy.