makes 12 servings
Prep Time
? minutes
Cook Time
? minutes
Total Time
? minutes
This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I can't say that you can absolutely taste the stout in it, but there is certainly a resonant, ferrous tang which I happen to love. The best way of describing it is to say that it's like gingerbread without the spices.
There is enough sugar - a certain understatement here - to counter any potential bitterness of the Guinness, and although I've eaten versions of this made up like a chocolate sandwich cake, stuffed and slathered in a rich chocolate icing, I think that can take away from its dark majesty. Besides, I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting to echo the pale head that sits on top of a glass of stout. It's unconventional to add cream but it makes it frothier and lighter which I regard as aesthetically and gastronomically desirable. But it is perfectly acceptable to leave the cake un-iced: in fact, it tastes gorgeous plain.
1 cup Guinness
18 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons)
¾ cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa
2 cups (400 grams) superfine sugar
⅔ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups (275 grams) all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking soda
8 ounces (300 grams) cream cheese
1¼ cups (150 grams) confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and butter and line a 9 inch springform pan.
Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.
Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch and then beat to combine.
If using heavy cream, add it and beat until you have a spreadable consistency. If using whipping cream, whisk first to soft peaks, add a couple of spoonfuls into the cream cheese mixture and once this is combined, fold in the rest.
Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.
For a simpler dessert, replace the frosting with a light dusting of powered sugar
Add 1/2 tsp of kosher salt for a better flavor
Use a better stout than Guinness
Here's another similar recipe to try:
by Nigella. Featured in FEAST
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-guinness-cake