Tailored from my favourite chocolate cake recipe, this wealthy Guinness chocolate cake is made with lowered darkish stout beer for deep taste. Topped with extremely creamy chocolate Guinness cream cheese frosting, this cake would possibly simply turn out to be a brand new St. Patrick’s Day dessert custom.

I’m not making this up: whereas I used to be photographing immediately’s cake, a rainbow truly appeared in my yard—not within the sky, in entrance of the timber in my precise YARD. I knew it was good luck; this cake was DELICIOUS.

And fortuitously, you don’t want to seek out the tip of the rainbow to make this chocolate Guinness cake. You simply want 2 Guinness stout beers, and a few fundamental baking substances.

Why Bake With Guinness?

You don’t have to love beer to like this cake. Darkish, easy, 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 nicely 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.

Greatest Technique to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake: Scale 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—maintain an in depth eye on it, as a result of it would foam up lots at first—then flip down the warmth and go away it to simmer for about half-hour, till it’s lowered to simply about 3/4 cup (180ml). You’ll be left with much less liquid, however extra taste.

Different Substances in Guinness Chocolate Cake

Whisk collectively the dry substances, whisk collectively the moist substances, 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 scorching lowered Guinness. We’ll use 1/2 cup (120ml) of scorching lowered Guinness within the cake batter, and put aside the remaining to chill fully for the frosting.

Why use scorching liquid? Scorching liquid helps the cocoa powder “bloom,” drawing out its wealthy taste. We use scorching espresso on this chocolate cake and these cream-filled cupcakes, however immediately we’re utilizing lowered Guinness as a substitute.

Chocolate Guinness Cream Cheese Frosting

Draught vs. Additional 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%. Additional Stout is a bit sharper and crisper, as a result of it’s carbonated with carbon dioxide like most beers. ABV is a bit larger, at 5.6%. Both one works on this recipe.

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Guinness Chocolate Cake

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  Creator: Sally
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  Prep Time: 1 hour
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  Cook dinner Time: 27 minutes
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  Complete Time: 5 hours (consists of chilling)
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  Yield: serves 12-16
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  Class: Dessert
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  Methodology: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

The BEST technique 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 may as well put together this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake. See recipe Notice.

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Directions

1. Scale 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 lowered right 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 lowered 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 Notice.
2. 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 desserts seamlessly launch from the pans. (If it’s useful, see this parchment paper rounds for desserts video & put up.)
3. 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.
4. Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you should utilize 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 substances into the dry substances, give it a fast combine/whisk, then add 1/2 cup (120ml) of scorching lowered 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.
5. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 25–28 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Baking occasions fluctuate, so control yours. The desserts are performed when a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. (Notice: Even when they’re fully performed, the cooled desserts could barely sink within the middle. Cocoa powder is solely 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!)
6. Take away the desserts from the oven and set on a wire rack. Permit to chill fully within the pans.
7. 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 easy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons (45ml) cooled lowered 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 just too skinny, or 1 extra Tablespoon of cooled lowered Guinness if frosting is just too thick. Style. Add one other pinch of salt if desired.
8. Assemble and frost: If cooled desserts 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 desserts. Discard or crumble over completed cake. Place 1 cake layer in your cake stand or serving plate. Utilizing a giant 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 all around 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 non-compulsory.) If desired, garnish prime of cake with sprinkles.
9. 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 will be served at room temperature or chilled.
10. Cowl leftover cake tightly and retailer within the fridge for five days. I like utilizing a cake provider for storing and transporting.

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Notes

1. Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You’ll be able to scale back the Guinness a day forward of time. Let cool, cowl, and refrigerate. Convey lowered beer to room temperature earlier than utilizing within the frosting, and warmth 1/2 cup within the microwave or on the range till scorching to make use of within the cake batter. To make the cake forward of time: Put together cake by way of step 6. 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 7. 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 nicely, as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then convey to room temperature or serve chilly.
2. 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 Provider (for storing)
3. Cocoa Powder: Use pure cocoa powder within the cake batter, not dutch-process. (See dutch-process vs pure cocoa powder for extra data.) As a result of there is no such thing as a leavening occurring in frosting, you should utilize both pure or dutch-process within the frosting.
4. Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can also 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 entire 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 home made “buttermilk” will probably be considerably curdled and able to use within the recipe.
5. Quantity of Cake Batter: This recipe (and the bitter cream model) yields about 6 cups of batter, which is useful if you happen to want it for various Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
6. Room Temperature Substances: All refrigerated objects ought to be at room temperature so the batter mixes collectively simply and evenly. Learn extra about why room temperature substances are vital.
7. Why scorching liquid? You need the lowered Guinness to be scorching once you add it to the remainder of the cake batter, to assist the cocoa powder “bloom.” This makes for the most effective chocolate taste.
8. 9×13-Inch Pan: You’ll be able to bake this cake as a sheet cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Identical oven temperature, about 35–40 minutes bake time.
9. Guinness Cupcakes: Right here is my recipe for chocolate Guinness cupcakes with mocha Guinness buttercream. 

Key phrases: guinness chocolate cake