Stout Cupcakes

I was excited to make these cupcakes, the first recipe I’m trying from my new cookbook. The cake is a complex layering of flavors from the cinnamon, molasses, brown sugar, orange zest, and stout beer. I like buttercream frostings on my cupcakes, so I didn't use the stout glaze that goes with this recipe; instead, I made honey-cinnamon frosting, which was an excellent complement to the flavor of the cake.

Source: Stout Cupcakes, Honey-Cinnamon Frosting, Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Ingredients
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups unsulfured molasses
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
2 large whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) stout beer, such as Guinness, poured and settled
Honey-Cinnamon Frosting (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat oil, molasses, brown sugar, whole eggs, yolk, zest, and stout until combined. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto wire racks to cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature and beat until smooth.