St. Patrick’s day is this week and I decided to get festive with another cake. Since festivities are looking different this year, I felt like keeping the spirit alive with this delicious chocolate Guinness stout cake with Irish cream frosting. YUM! I hadn’t had a stout cake before so I thought I would give it a shot, and I actually really enjoyed it. I would definitely make it again for a larger group (this took some time to eat alone ;))
What is a stout cake?
Stout beers are often described for having chocolate and coffee overtones, so it actually tastes really great in a cake. The hops from the beer match the sugar in the cake, creating a nice balance of flavor. It also makes an incredibly moist cake too, but that’s also thanks to the sour cream that is in the batter.
Now, don’t worry, the cake won’t taste like a beer. It just adds a little pizzaz to bring out the chocolate flavors of the cake. And, it makes the cake rise a lot! The best part about this recipe is that you will get a pretty tall cake with only one layer and one pan, so the work is pretty minimal here.
Just be sure to mix the butter and sugar thoroughly into the stout before mixing it with the other ingredients.
Irish cream frosting
This is a standard buttercream frosting, so it’s quite easy. All you need to do is whip the butter with an electric mixer, add some powdered sugar and vanilla, and then add your Irish cream liqueur of choice. Bailey’s is a great idea here, but I actually used a Trader Joe’s brand that was only $10 for a big bottle! And it was perfect for this frosting.
And that’s pretty much it! If you like this cake, try my banana cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting or my triple berry sour cream crumb cake.
Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting
Equipment
- standard 9 inch cake pan
- small sauce pan
- 2 large bowls
- electric mixer or hand mixer
- butter knife for spreading frosting
- parchment paper
- Whisk
Ingredients
Chocolate Guinness Cake
- 1 cup Guinness Stout Beer from a can
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Irish Cream Frosting
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 4 tbsp Irish cream liqueur like Bailey's
- ¼ cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease your cake pan with butter and line with parchment paper.
- In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt the 10 tablespoons of butter with the 1 cup of beer. Once the butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and add in the cocoa powder. Whisk together until completely combined, and then add the brown and granulated sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain.
- In a bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract with a mixer until creamy and smooth, about one minute. Pour in the chocolate and beer mixture. Whisk together until well combined. Add in the flour and baking soda. Mix on low speed until well incorporated, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan evenly. Bake the cake for 1 hour. The cake might take even longer, so be sure to insert a knife in the center to see if it comes out clean. If it doesn't, continue baking in 5 minute increments. Leave out to cool.
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting. In a bowl, beat the butter on medium until it is fluffy and whipped, about one minute. Add in the Irish cream liqueur and the confectioner's sugar. Whip together on medium until fully combined and no lumps remain.
- Do not frost the cake until it has cooled ENTIRELY, about 30-45 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and frost it with the buttercream. The frosting will only sit on the top, not the sides.
- Slice and enjoy!
Nathan M Fleischer
FANTASTIC!