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Guinness Cake Recipe (Moist Chocolate Stout Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting)

Make a moist and fudgy Guinness cake using chocolate, stout andsour cream, and finish it with tangy cream cheese frosting. The recipe includes simplesteps, some tips and easy variations
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake:
  • 1 cup 250 ml Guinness stout
  • 1 cup 225 g unsalted butter, cubed
  • ¾ cup 75 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups 400 g granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup 150 g sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2¼ cups 280 g all-purpose flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the cream cheese frosting:
  • 1½ cups 340 g full-fat cream cheese, cold
  • 1¼ cups 150 g powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¾ cup 180 ml cold heavy cream
  • To decorate optional:
  • Flaked almonds toasted
  • Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings
Choosing the Ingredients
  • For the best taste you should use classic Guinness Draught or Extra Stout. It is better to
  • select full-fat sour cream and cream cheese in block form since the spreadable tub
  • varieties are too soft for use as frosting. Both Dutch-process cocoa and natural cocoa
  • will do but using a good quality cocoa will produce a richer outcome. Make sure that the
  • eggs and sour cream are at room temperature so that they mix smoothly

Method
 

How to Make Guinness Cake
    In the first place
    1. Get the pan ready by preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C) and
    2. greasing a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan before lining the base of it with parchment
    3. paper.
    In step 2
    1. Melt the base by placing a large saucepan over low heat and melting the butter
    2. in with the Guinness; then whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar until the mixture is
    3. smooth and shiny, after which take it off the heat and allow it to cool for five minutes.
    In step 3
    1. Combine the wet ingredients. Place the sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a bowl
    2. and whisk them together until they are mixed. Then pour this mixture into the cooled
    3. chocolate mixture and whisk it until it becomes smooth.
    In step 4,
    1. Add the dry ingredients and whisk the flour, baking soda and salt into the
    2. mixture until all the lumps have disappeared. The batter will be thin, and this is precisely
    3. what you want.
    In step 5
    1. Bake the cake by pouring the batter into the pan and then baking it for 45 to 55
    2. minutes until a toothpick placed in the middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
    3. Cool it completely and leave the cake in the pan on a wire rack; if you frost it when it is
    4. still warm the frosting will melt.
    In step 7
    1. Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and the powdered sugar
    2. together until they are smooth. Then add the cold cream and whip it on medium speed
    3. until it has become thick and spreadable, but do not whip it until it starts to become
    4. grainy.
    In step 8
    1. Frost and then serve. Take the cake out of the pan and cover the top with
    2. frosting; if you desire, add some flaked almonds or cocoa or chocolate shavings before
    3. slicing and serving it.
    Pro Tips for the Best Guinness Cake
    1. Before you add the eggs, cool down the chocolate mixture so that the eggs won't
    2. scramble.
    3. When the flour is added, don't overmix because gently whisking keeps the crumb tender.
    4. A springform pan should be used since this cake is quite moist and would be difficult to
    5. remove from a conventional pan.
    6. To check whether it's done, do so a few minutes before the expected time since ovens
    7. can differ.
    8. Before slicing, cool the cake for 30 minutes to ensure neat and clean pieces.
    9. Frosting made from cold cream cheese and cold cream will retain its shape.
    What to Serve with Guinness Cake
    1. A cup of strong coffee or hot tea
    2. A scoop of vanilla ice cream
    3. Fresh raspberries or strawberries
    4. A spoonful of whipped cream
    5. A small glass of Irish cream liqueur
    Easy Variations
    1. For the Guinness cupcakes, divide the batter between a muffin tin that has been lined
    2. and then bake it for 20 to 25 minutes.
    3. For chocolate ganache, replace the cream cheese frosting with ganache.
    4. For the almond topping, you can either scatter the flaked almonds over the frosting or
    5. press them onto the sides, as shown in the photo.
    6. To give it an espresso boost, add one teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the cocoa.
    7. For Baileys frosting, substitute some of the cream with Irish cream liqueur.
    8. For non-alcoholic drinks, substitute the Guinness with a non-alcoholic stout or a strong
    9. brewed coffee.
    Storage and Reheating
    1. You can keep the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a maximum
    2. of five days. For best results, allow the slices to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20
    3. minutes before serving. If you want to freeze it, wrap the unfrosted cake layers tightly
    4. and freeze them for up to three months, after which time they should be left to thaw in
    5. the fridge overnight before being frosted and then served. The frosted slices can also be
    6. frozen, though the frosting might soften a bit after thawing.
    Common Questions
      Isn't the Guinness detectable in the cake?
      1. Just a little bit; the stout contributes a mild malty flavour that boosts the chocolate rather
      2. than having a beery taste.
      Will the alcohol be removed?
      1. The majority of it will, but a little bit may still be left. If you want to make a cake that
      2. contains no alcohol, then use a non-alcoholic stout or coffee.
      What makes my batter so thin?
      1. That's entirely normal; the liquid batter turns into a very moist and tender crumb when it
      2. is baked.
      Can I use another pan?
      1. Yes, bake it for 30 to 35 minutes in two 8-inch round pans or for about 35 minutes in a
      2. 9x13-inch pan.
      Shall I manage to do it in advance?
      1. Certainly. If you want to, make the cake the day before, wrap it properly and then frost it
      2. on the day you intend to serve it.

      Notes

      This Guinness cake recipe shows that it is possible to produce a very rich, moist and unforgettable dessert using only a few simple ingredients. The stout enhances the chocolate, the sour cream ensures that each mouthful remains tender and the cream cheese frosting provides a tangy ending. You can serve a slice with coffee or go for a scoop of ice cream and enjoy a cake that improves with each bite.
      When you've tried the recipe, don't forget to leave a comment and a rating below and let us know how it worked out.