Ingredients

• 1 cup Stout or Porter Beer (225g)
• 1 Tbsp brewed Espresso (15g), optional
• 2/3 cup Unsalted Butter (160g)
• 1 cup Cocoa (75g)
• 2 cups Cane Sugar (485g)
• 3 Eggs (180g)
• 3/4 cup Greek Yogurt (200g)
• Zest of 1/2 medium Orange
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (5g)
• 2 1/2 cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour (340g)
• 1 tsp Salt (8g)
• 2 tsp Baking Soda (15g)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners or grease and sugar two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. In a small saucepan, melt together the beer, espresso and unsalted butter. In a medium bowl, measure out the cocoa powder and sugar. Once the beer and butter is hot and fully melted, pour the mixture into the bowl containing the cocoa powder and sugar. Stir well with a whisk to break up any clumps and ensure the sugar is able to melt.
3. In another bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, orange zest and vanilla extract and whisk them together lightly. Slowly begin pouring this mixture into the bowl of the beer and sugar mixture, whisking vigorously as you incorporate the two until they have been combined.
4. In a large bowl, measure or weigh out your final dry ingredients: flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk or sift the dry ingredients together and create a well in the center. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and begin whisking the two together slowly to ensure flour doesn’t fly everywhere and you don’t incorporate too many air bubbles.
5. Pour your batter into muffin tins (3/4 full) or prepared cake pans. Bake cupcakes for 15-18 minutes or 8-inch cake layers for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with vanilla or bourbon buttercream icing or with fresh whipped cream!