Description
Rich chocolate Guinness cake delivers deep, malty flavors with Irish whiskey frosting. Dark layers promise intense indulgence for bakers craving a memorable dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup Guinness beer
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt
- ½ cup fresh vegetable oil
- 4 sticks (1 lb / 454 g) unsalted butter
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 4 oz (113 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsps Irish cream
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and position rack centrally. Generously butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, lining bottoms with parchment paper for seamless removal.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring uniform texture and eliminating potential lumps.
- Wet Ingredients: Whisk sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and Guinness stout until perfectly blended and smooth.
- Batter Creation: Gently fold liquid mixture into dry ingredients, stirring minimally to maintain the cake’s delicate crumb. Distribute batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing surfaces with a spatula.
- Baking Process: Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating pans midway to guarantee even cooking. Verify doneness by inserting a toothpick that emerges clean. Allow cakes to rest in pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Cake Preparation: Chill layers in freezer for 30 minutes to facilitate easier frosting. Cream butter in a stand mixer until light and airy, gradually incorporating powdered sugar on low speed.
- Buttercream Crafting: Integrate Irish cream liqueur into buttercream, blending until silky and consistent. Apply a thin crumb coat to cake layers, refrigerate for 15 minutes to set.
- Final Decoration: Generously frost cake with remaining buttercream, creating smooth, even layers. Prepare chocolate ganache by warming heavy cream and combining with dark chocolate.
- Finishing Touches: Carefully cascade ganache around cake edges for an elegant drip effect. Optionally garnish with chocolate shavings or decorative elements to enhance visual appeal.
Notes
- Chill Cake Layers: Freezing cake for 30 minutes creates firmer surface, preventing crumbs from mixing into frosting and enabling smoother decoration.
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold batter until just combined to maintain cake’s tender, light texture and avoid developing tough gluten structures.
- Control Sugar Integration: Add powdered sugar slowly and mix on low speed to prevent messy sugar clouds and ensure smooth, creamy buttercream consistency.
- Achieve Clean Edges: Use parchment paper when lining cake pans for effortless cake removal and perfect round shapes without stuck edges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Drinks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 53 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg