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1
For the cupcakes:
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Heat the oven to 350F with a rack in the middle position. Prep two 12 cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
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Beat together the beer, milk, cream, oil, and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined. Beat in sour cream.
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In a large bowl whisk together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture to form your batter. Do not beat this or you will end up with dense cakes.
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Pour the batter into the cupcake liners until 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven.
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Remove them from the muffin tins and set on wire racks to cool completely before filling or icing.
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For the beer-Infused salted caramel sauce:
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Add the sugar and beer to a very large pot set over high heat (this will bubble up a lot while cooking). Gently stir together until the sugar has melted, then stop stirring.
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Let it boil, without touching, until the caramel reaches a deep amber colour, and registers 350F on a candy or instant read thermometer.
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As soon as it reaches 350F turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until completely melted and combined.
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Pour in the heavy cream, in a thin stream, while whisking vigorously. Stir in the salt, and pour into a Pyrex glass measuring cup to cool completely before using.
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This can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. If you do this, simply return it to room temperature before using.
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For the salted caramel Swiss meringue buttercream:
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Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Boil until the mixture reaches 235F to 240F, the soft ball stage of candy making, then immediately remove from the heat.
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While the sugar mixture is boiling, whip the egg whites using a stand mixer until they form soft peaks.
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When the sugar reaches the soft ball stage, turn the mixer back on medium/high and slowly pour a thin stream of the sugar mixture between the whip and the edge of the bowl, until completely combined. Continue whipping until the sides of the bowl are cool to the touch again (room temperature). This is a very important step, as rushing it will melt the butter and ruin the frosting.
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When the bowl is back to room temperature, add your softened butter, two tablespoons at a time. When all the butter has been added, the mixture may look slightly curdled, and that's normal. Continue whipping until the mixture becomes silky again.
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Whip in the room temperature salted caramel sauce, approximately half a cup worth, and then adjust based on your taste.
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Time to assemble! Fill the center of the cupcakes with about a tablespoon of the caramel sauce. I have a cool piping tip to do this, because I love filled cupcakes, but you could just poke a hole down the center with a wooden spoon, or cut out a bit from the center (a melon baller works good for that too, if you have one). Then either pipe or spread the buttercream on top. Drizzle with more caramel sauce as desired.
