Chocolate Guinness Cake

matt · 16 March 2024
Date Posted
Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • Butter, for the pan
  • 1cup Guinness stout
  • 10tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (see Tip)
  • ¾cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2cups superfine sugar
  • ¾cup sour cream
  • 2large eggs
  • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • 2½teaspoons baking soda

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 1¼cups confectioners' sugar
  • 8ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • ½cup heavy cream
Body

  1. Step 1

    For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

  3. Step 3

    For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

  4. Step 4

    Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

TIP

  • The recipe for this cake in Nigella Lawson's cookbook "Feast: Food to Celebrate Life" (Hyperion, 2004) calls for 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter