Tailored from my favourite chocolate cake recipe, this wealthy Guinness chocolate cake is made with diminished darkish stout beer for deep taste. Topped with extremely creamy chocolate Guinness cream cheese frosting, this cake would possibly simply develop into a brand new St. Patrick’s Day dessert custom.
I’m not making this up: whereas I used to be photographing right this moment’s cake, a rainbow truly appeared in my yard—not within the sky, in entrance of the bushes in my precise YARD. I knew it was good luck; this cake was DELICIOUS.
And fortuitously, you don’t want to seek out the top of the rainbow to make this chocolate Guinness cake. You simply want 2 Guinness stout beers, and a few fundamental baking components.
Why Bake With Guinness?
You don’t have to love beer to like this cake. Darkish, clean, and creamy, with roast espresso and caramel undertones, Guinness stout is commonly utilized in baking and virtually at all times paired with chocolate. The 2 work effectively collectively as a result of Guinness, like espresso, intensifies chocolate’s pure taste. Desserts like Guinness cupcakes and Guinness brownies don’t style like beer, only a extra advanced chocolate with a malty background.
We’re additionally incorporating the Guinness taste within the chocolate cream cheese frosting, which is nice and silky and enhances the darkish, fudgy chocolate cake completely.
So, to evaluate:
Why You’ll Love It
- Chocolate cake is wealthy, moist, and fudgy, with a touch of Guinness taste
- Malty undertones with notes of caramel and occasional
- Further creamy, silky chocolate cream cheese frosting additionally incorporates the diminished Guinness focus for an additional kiss of taste
However, that is baking. And, as I usually say, baking is a science. You’ll be able to’t simply pour a few beers into cake batter. So how can we pack actual Guinness taste into chocolate cake and frosting, with out turning the whole lot into soup? The trick is to scale back the beer on the range first, to pay attention the flavour right into a small quantity of liquid.
Finest Method to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake: Cut back the Beer
The warmth evaporates the liquid (and cooks off the alcohol), however leaves the flavour. We additionally do that with champagne in my mimosa cupcakes and champagne frosting. And with strawberries in my strawberry cake, too.
This step is very easy. Pour 2 bottles of Guinness stout into a big saucepan. Let it come as much as simply boiling—hold a detailed eye on it, as a result of it can foam up lots at first—then flip down the warmth and depart it to simmer for about half-hour, till it’s diminished to simply about 3/4 cup (180ml). You’ll be left with much less liquid, however extra taste.
Will your kitchen odor like a brewery? Sure. Will the odor of baking chocolate cake shortly overpower it? Additionally sure.
- Success tip: Use a bigger saucepan/pot than you suppose you want, with excessive sides. When the beer begins boiling, it can get very foamy and threaten to boil over. Cut back the warmth to low, then, as the froth settles again down, slowly enhance warmth to medium.
As soon as the Guinness is simmering away, begin mixing collectively the remainder of the cake components.
Different Substances in Guinness Chocolate Cake
Let’s shortly evaluate the opposite components you’ll be mixing with the diminished Guinness, and why every is essential to your outcomes:
- All-Objective Flour: The bottom of this recipe. Whereas cake flour is nice for vanilla cake, when mixed with ultra-light cocoa powder, it’s too wonderful for this cake. Keep on with all-purpose right here.
- Unsweetened Pure Cocoa Powder: Don’t use dutch-process cocoa powder. When you’re , see dutch-process vs pure cocoa powder for an in-depth rationalization.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens this cake.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: This can be a pretty dense cake, however these 2 leavening brokers present the carry.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder accentuates the chocolate and Guinness flavors.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Taste and extra taste!
- Vegetable Oil: Cocoa powder is a very drying ingredient, so oil is required to make sure the cake is moist.
- Eggs: Eggs add construction and bind the components collectively.
- Bitter Cream + Buttermilk: When you may use only one or the opposite, you’ll have one of the best success with a mixture of each, which makes for a moist and delicate but sturdy crumb.
Whisk collectively the dry components, whisk collectively the moist components, then pour the moist combination into dry and whisk to mix. The final step for the cake batter is so as to add within the sizzling diminished Guinness. We’ll use 1/2 cup (120ml) of sizzling diminished Guinness within the cake batter, and put aside the remaining to chill utterly for the frosting.
Why use sizzling liquid? Scorching liquid helps the cocoa powder “bloom,” drawing out its wealthy taste. We use sizzling espresso on this chocolate cake and these cream-filled cupcakes, however right this moment we’re utilizing diminished Guinness as an alternative.
Chocolate Guinness Cream Cheese Frosting
I began with this recipe for clean and silky chocolate cream cheese frosting, and easily swapped cooled Guinness focus for the heavy cream. That’s it, my workforce and I didn’t take a look at something additional as a result of this Guinness-hinted frosting was creamy, tangy, chocolatey, and PERFECT.
Draught vs. Further Stout—Which Sort of Guinness to Use
Guinness Draught is richer and creamier, as a result of it’s carbonated with nitrogen. It has an ABV of 4.2%. Further Stout is just a little sharper and crisper, as a result of it’s carbonated with carbon dioxide like most beers. ABV is a bit greater, at 5.6%. Both one works on this recipe.
St. Patrick’s Day Treats
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook dinner Time: 27 minutes
Whole Time: 5 hours (contains chilling)
Yield: serves 12-16
Class: Dessert
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
The BEST strategy to impart actual Guinness taste into chocolate cake is to scale back it down on the range first. This packs in taste with out altering the cake’s texture. You can too put together this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake. See recipe Be aware.
Directions
- Cut back the Guinness: In a big saucepan, convey the Guinness to a boil over medium-high warmth. As soon as boiling, scale back to medium warmth and permit to simmer till diminished all the way down to about 3/4 cup, about half-hour. Start making the cake batter as soon as the Guinness is simmering. You’ll use 1/2 cup of the recent diminished Guinness within the cake batter, and put aside the remaining to chill for the frosting. You are able to do this step 1 day forward of time if wanted—see Be aware.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the truffles seamlessly launch from the pans. (If it’s useful, see this parchment paper rounds for truffles video & submit.)
- Make the cake: Whereas the Guinness is simmering, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if utilizing) collectively in a big bowl. Put aside. Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you need to use a whisk) combine the oil, bitter cream, eggs, and vanilla collectively on medium-high pace till mixed. Add the buttermilk and blend till mixed. Pour the moist components into the dry components, give it a fast combine/whisk, then add 1/2 cup (120ml) of sizzling diminished Guinness. Combine or whisk on low pace till the batter is totally mixed. Batter is skinny. If it helps, it’s best to have about 6 cups or 1250g of cake batter whole.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 25–28 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. Baking instances fluctuate, so keep watch over yours. The truffles are finished when a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear. (Be aware: Even when they’re utterly finished, the cooled truffles could barely sink within the heart. Cocoa powder is just not as structurally robust as all-purpose flour and may’t maintain as much as all of the moisture essential to make a moist chocolate cake. It’s regular!)
- Take away the truffles from the oven and set on a wire rack. Enable to chill utterly within the pans.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter collectively on medium pace till creamy and clean, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons (45ml) cooled diminished Guinness, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low pace for 30 seconds, then enhance to excessive pace and beat for 1 full minute. Don’t over-whip. Add a pair extra Tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is simply too skinny, or 1 extra Tablespoon of cooled diminished Guinness if frosting is simply too thick. Style. Add one other pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble and frost: If cooled truffles are domed on prime, use a big serrated knife to slice a skinny layer off the tops to create a flat floor. That is known as “leveling” the truffles. Discard or crumble over completed cake. Place 1 cake layer in your cake stand or serving plate. Utilizing a massive icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cowl the highest with about 1 cup (about 250g) of frosting. Prime with 2nd layer and unfold remaining frosting everywhere in the prime and sides. A bench scraper is useful for smoothing out the edges. I normally go lighter on the edges of the cake, to have leftover frosting for piping across the prime. (Piping is elective.) If desired, garnish prime of cake with sprinkles.
- Refrigerate uncovered cake for no less than 30-60 minutes earlier than slicing to assist set the form. After that, you possibly can serve the cake or proceed refrigerating for as much as 4–6 hours earlier than serving. Cake may be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cowl leftover cake tightly and retailer within the fridge for five days. I like utilizing a cake provider for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You’ll be able to scale back the Guinness a day forward of time. Let cool, cowl, and refrigerate. Convey diminished beer to room temperature earlier than utilizing within the frosting, and warmth 1/2 cup within the microwave or the range till sizzling to make use of within the cake batter. To make the cake forward of time: Put together cake via step 5. Wrap the person baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for as much as 2 days or freeze as much as 3 months. Convey to room temperature then proceed with step 6. You’ll be able to put together the frosting 2–3 days upfront. Cowl and refrigerate, then convey to room temperature earlier than spreading onto/assembling the cake. Frosted cake freezes effectively, as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then convey to room temperature or serve chilly.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9-inch Cake Pans | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Gold Shimmer Sprinkles | Cake Service (for storing)
- Cocoa Powder: Use pure cocoa powder within the cake, not dutch-process. (See dutch-process vs pure cocoa powder for extra data.) Since there isn’t a leavening occurring in frosting, you need to use both pure or dutch-process within the frosting.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You may make your personal DIY model of buttermilk if wanted. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add sufficient room-temperature complete milk to the identical measuring cup till it reaches 1/2 cup (120ml). (In a pinch, decrease fats or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, however the cake gained’t style as moist or wealthy.) Stir it round and let sit for five minutes. The selfmade “buttermilk” will probably be considerably curdled and able to use within the recipe.
- Quantity of Cake Batter: This recipe (and the bitter cream model) yields about 6 cups of batter, which is useful in the event you want it for various Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
- Room Temperature Substances: All refrigerated gadgets needs to be at room temperature so the batter mixes collectively simply and evenly. Learn extra about why room temperature components are essential.
- Why sizzling liquid? You need the diminished Guinness to be sizzling once you add it to the remainder of the cake batter, to assist the cocoa powder “bloom.” This makes for one of the best chocolate taste.
- 9×13-inch Pan: You’ll be able to bake this cake as a sheet cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Similar oven temperature, about 35–40 minutes bake time.
- Guinness Cupcakes: Right here is my recipe for chocolate Guinness cupcakes with mocha Guinness buttercream.
Key phrases: guinness chocolate cake
