Guinness Chocolate Cake

Now that dinner is done and we are finishing the last hours of day, Baked by Joanna can't close out the night without a fabulous cake recipe. So here's one I know you will enjoy, and thanks for spending St. Patty's Day with me.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Serves 12

Cake Ingredients
1 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup Guinness
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa, sifted
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 medium eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients
1 1/3 cups cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2/3 cups whipped cream

Cake Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add butter, cocoa and Guinness to a saucepan. Warm over medium heat and stir until melted. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Add flour, baking soda and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together. Pour in the Guinness mixture, lightly combine. Then, add the vanilla, eggs and sour cream and beat everything together until well combined. The batter should be thick and dark chocolate in color.

Pour into a greased and lined 9-inch round cake pan (pan must be a minimum of 3" tall) and cook in the oven for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake. (Note: Check the cake after 1 hour of baking. This cake is very moist inside, so use your judgment regarding the skewer test.)

Leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the cake pan and placing on a wire wrack to cool completely.

Frosting Directions
Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat on a low-medium speed using a whisk attachment. Whisk until the cheese is smooth and there are no big lumps remaining.

Gradually, using a large spoon, add in the sifted powdered sugar and beat gently to combine. After 2 to 3 minutes, stop the machine, scrape any excess frosting from the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed until lump-free.

Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the whipped cream, mixing to fully combine.

Assembly
Place the cooled cake on a cake stand and add the frosting, spreading out just to the edge without going over the side. The idea is to capture the essence and simplicity of a pint of Guinness.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Birthday Girl