In the same way beer is the drink of choice for the run-of-the-mill bro, cupcakes are the poster child of girly, cutesy desserts. And just like there’s no trendier dessert than a cupcake, when it comes to beer, it’d be hard to get more hipster than Pabst Blue Ribbon. So when this ubiquitous beer collides with the slightly tired concept of the cupcake, a dessert dynamo comes into being. It’s perfect harmony: beer gets a little less bro-y, cupcakes get a little less girly, and the whole idea is just out-of-the-box enough to put a refreshing new spin on both PBR and cupcakes.
Not to mention, these unexpected treats are also delectable. The cakes turn out unusually small in this recipe, but that makes for the perfect ratio of rich, sweet buttercream frosting to bready, beer-y cake. Rum comes into play subtly, completing the boozy undertone, while the brown sugar and honey make for a dense, chewy and sweet texture. They’re also healthier than you’d think, with agave nectar stepping in to replace processed granulated sugar. In the end, you get slightly rustic, perfectly portioned cakes with universal aesthetic and taste bud appeal.
So whip these up any time you’re looking to add a hipster edge to your next bake sale or when you just happen to have a bottle of rum and an extra case of PBR begging to be baked. Eat responsibly!