Okay, you’re probably wondering what naga means. Several things actually. I can never just do food. There’s always some element of history, science, or perhaps even humor (as it should be). Today it’s history.
Nāga is the Sanskrit and Pāli word for a deity or being, taking the form of a very great snake—specifically the King Cobra, found in Hinduism and Buddhism. The use of the term nāga is often ambiguous, as the word may also refer, in similar contexts, to one of several human tribes known as or nicknamed “Nāgas”; to elephants; and to ordinary snakes, particularly the King Cobra and the Indian Cobra, the latter of which is still called nāg in Hindi and other languages of India. So what does this have to do with food? Some people think a certain chili pepper might be named after the Nāga .
The Bhut Jolokia, as it is commonly known, is a chili pepper previously recognized by Guinness World Records as the hottest pepper in the world. It is also called the Naga Jolokia and is believed to have originated from the hills of Nagaland. An alternative source for Naga jolokia claims that the name originates from the ferocious Nāga warriors who once inhabited Nagaland. Spicy—warlike. Sure, why not. This pepper’s scoville rating is insane.
They include more than 20 tribes of mixed origin, varying cultures, and very different physiques and appearances. The numerous Nāga languages (sometimes classified as dialects) belong to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Almost every village has its own dialect; different groups of Nāgas communicate in broken Assamese (Nāgamese), or sometimes in English and Hindi.
So, I named this cupcake after it’s Indo-Nagan, Sino-Tibetan heritage of flavors. Don’t worry, the heat is what I’d consider mild and somewhat sneaky. It’ll warm up your mouth after you finish your first bite. On to the recipe.
I strongly suggest playing with the spice measurements to suit your taste. The above amounts are approximations as I typically start flinging spices like a mad scientist while baking.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
Bring 1/2 cup stout, 1/2 cup coconut milk, and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
In a separate large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and rest of dry spices. Using an electric mixer, blend in eggs and sour cream. Then slowly add stout-chocolate mixture just until combined. Slowly mix or fold batter until completely combined.
Taste time. Tweak spices as desired.
Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake 15-20 minutes until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Rotate them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.
While your cupcakes cool, go ahead and make the filling. Chop the chocolate into coarse but roughly even pieces, and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the coconut milk and bailey’s until it is simmering (but not boiling) and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for about a minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler or give it 20 seconds in the microwave to help the chocolate get sufficiently melty). Add the butter and spices and stir until combined.
Fill the cupcakes. Use a pastry filling injector or pastry bag with fine tip to squeeze ganache filling into center of cupcake. Just insert the tip about 1/3 of the way and squeeze. It’s okay to allow it overflow across top of cupcake. I always do when filling. If you’re worried about drippage, stick the cupcakes into the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set quickly. You can use a baster in a pinch if you have neither an injector nor pastry bag.
Make the frosting. In an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese on medium speed. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, starting with a few tablespoons at a time of your sugar until the frosting looks thick enough to spread (for me, this was about 2 cups). At this point, add in the coconut milk, vanilla, and Irish Cream. Whip it until combined. Beat in as much or as little of the remaining confectioners’ sugar until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.
Frost your cupcakes. If you want to get fancy, pipe the frosting on top in swirls or whirls—but if you just want to eat the cupcakes, frost using a spatula—and garnish with the shredded coconut.