Guinness Chocolate Cake – Sally’s Baking Habit

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

I’m not making this up: whereas I used to be photographing at the moment’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 search out the top 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, clean, and creamy, with roast espresso and caramel undertones, Guinness stout is usually utilized in baking and nearly all the time 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 complicated chocolate with a malty background.

We’re additionally incorporating the Guinness taste within the chocolate cream cheese frosting, which is good and silky and enhances the darkish, fudgy chocolate cake completely.

Greatest Method 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—hold an in depth eye on it, as a result of it’ll foam up loads at first—then flip down the warmth and depart it to simmer for about half-hour, till it’s decreased to only about 3/4 cup (180ml). You’ll be left with much less liquid, however extra taste.

Different Components 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 decreased Guinness. We’ll use 1/2 cup (120ml) of scorching decreased 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 at the moment we’re utilizing decreased Guinness as an alternative.

Chocolate Guinness Cream Cheese Frosting

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

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Guinness Chocolate Cake

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  Writer: Sally
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  Prep Time: 1 hour
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  Prepare dinner Time: 27 minutes
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  Complete Time: 5 hours (contains 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 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 may as well put together this chocolate layer cake as a sheet cake. See recipe Be aware.

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Directions

1. Scale back the Guinness: In a big saucepan, deliver the Guinness to a boil over medium-high warmth. As soon as boiling, cut back to medium warmth and permit to simmer till decreased 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 new decreased 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.
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 & submit.)
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 need to use a whisk) combine the oil, bitter cream, eggs, and vanilla collectively on medium-high velocity 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 decreased Guinness. Combine or whisk on low velocity till the batter is totally mixed. Batter is skinny. If it helps, you must have about 6 cups or 1250g of cake batter complete.
5. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 25–28 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Baking instances differ, so regulate yours. The desserts are achieved when a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. (Be aware: Even when they’re fully achieved, the cooled desserts might barely sink within the middle. Cocoa powder is just not as structurally robust as all-purpose flour and might’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. Enable 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 velocity till creamy and clean, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons (45ml) cooled decreased Guinness, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low velocity for 30 seconds, then improve to excessive velocity 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 decreased Guinness if frosting is simply too thick. Style. Add one other pinch of salt if desired.
8. Assemble and frost: If cooled desserts are domed on high, use a big serrated knife to slice a skinny layer off the tops to create a flat floor. That is referred to 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 high 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 high. (Piping is optionally available.) If desired, garnish high of cake with sprinkles.
9. Refrigerate uncovered cake for at the very least 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 might 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 may cut back the Guinness a day forward of time. Let cool, cowl, and refrigerate. Convey decreased 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 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 may put together the frosting 2–3 days prematurely. Cowl and refrigerate, then deliver 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 deliver 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 Service (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 isn’t a leavening occurring in frosting, you need to use 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 selfmade “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 in case you want it for various Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
6. Room Temperature Components: All refrigerated gadgets must 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 decreased Guinness to be scorching whenever you add it to the remainder of the cake batter, to assist the cocoa powder “bloom.” This makes for the very best chocolate taste.
8. 9×13-Inch Pan: You may bake this cake as a sheet cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Similar 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