Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Cream Frosting
I’ve been having fun trying new recipes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Among the several Emerald Isle treats I’ve made recently are Irish soda bread scones, Irish cream cake, and Baileys Irish cream cookie balls. (They’re all really delicious in their own right, but I have to single out the Irish cream cookie balls as being seriously addictive.)
Now, to add to the list in the grand finale leading up to the big day is this chocolate Guiness cake with Irish cream frosting. Be still my heart!
For the record, I am most definitely not a beer drinker. I can’t get it past my lips—do not, not care for the flavor at all. Having said that, you cannot taste the beer in this cake in the slightest. It just adds a complexity to the flavor profile that is difficult to identify, and somehow it changes the chemistry to give the cake a most toothsome decadence. It is intensely dark, dense, and moist. This cake definitely falls into the category of drool-worthy and is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever put in my mouth.
If you haven’t run across them, there are a couple of brownie recipes here on the blog that also have Guinness as an ingredient. It works its magic deliciously in both. If you’ve never tried a dessert recipe that uses a stout beer like Guinness, you’ve been missing out!
Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Cream Frosting
Ingredients for Cake
- 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup sour cream
Ingredients for the Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (Use up to 3 cups if you like your frosting sweeter.)
- 3 tbl. Irish cream liqueur (I used Baileys)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- Chocolate sprinkles, chocolate curls, etc., for garnish
Directions for Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by using baking spray to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
Bring the stout and the butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend.
Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool completely in the pan. The center of the cake will probably dip as it cools. This is normal, so don’t worry about it—and the frosting will cover it up in any case!
Directions for the Frosting
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until fluffy.
Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and mix well.
Add the Irish cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. If needed, add a little bit of milk to the frosting to get it to a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Spread the frosting on just the top of the cooled cake. Add any garnishes you like. I’m a fan of chocolate vermicelli. 🙂
