Guinness Chocolate Cake – Sally’s Baking Dependancy

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

I’m not making this up: whereas I used to be photographing right this moment’s cake, a rainbow really 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 luckily, you don’t want to search out the tip of the rainbow to make this chocolate Guinness cake. You simply want 2 Guinness stout beers, and a few fundamental baking components.

Why Bake With Guinness?

You don’t have to love beer to like this cake. Darkish, easy, and creamy, with roast espresso and caramel undertones, Guinness stout is commonly utilized in baking and virtually all the time paired with chocolate. The 2 work properly 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 nice and silky and enhances the darkish, fudgy chocolate cake completely.

Greatest Solution 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 a detailed eye on it, as a result of it’ll foam up so much at first—then flip down the warmth and go away it to simmer for about half-hour, till it’s lowered to only about 3/4 cup (180ml). You’ll be left with much less liquid, however extra taste.

Different Elements in Guinness Chocolate Cake

Whisk collectively the dry components, whisk collectively the moist components, 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 lowered Guinness. We’ll use 1/2 cup (120ml) of scorching lowered 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 right this moment we’re utilizing lowered Guinness as an alternative.

Chocolate Guinness Cream Cheese Frosting

Draught vs. Additional Stout—Which Kind 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%. Additional Stout is a little 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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  Creator: Sally
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  Prep Time: 1 hour
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  Cook 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 approach to impart actual Guinness taste into chocolate cake is to cut 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 Notice.

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Directions

1. Scale back the Guinness: In a big saucepan, convey the Guinness to a boil over medium-high warmth. As soon as boiling, cut back to medium warmth and permit to simmer till lowered 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 recent lowered 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 Notice.
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 truffles seamlessly launch from the pans. (If it’s useful, see this parchment paper rounds for truffles 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 pace till mixed. Add the buttermilk and blend till mixed. Pour the moist components into the dry components, give it a fast combine/whisk, then add 1/2 cup (120ml) of scorching lowered Guinness. Combine or whisk on low pace till the batter is totally mixed. Batter is skinny. If it helps, it is best to have about 6 cups or 1250g of cake batter whole.
5. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 25–28 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Baking instances fluctuate, so regulate yours. The truffles are performed when a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. (Notice: Even when they’re fully performed, the cooled truffles might barely sink within the middle. Cocoa powder is solely not as structurally robust as all-purpose flour and may’t maintain as much as all of the moisture essential to make a moist chocolate cake. It’s regular!)
6. Take away the truffles 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 pace till creamy and easy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons (45ml) cooled lowered Guinness, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low pace for 30 seconds, then improve to excessive pace 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 lowered Guinness if frosting is simply too thick. Style. Add one other pinch of salt if desired.
8. Assemble and frost: If cooled truffles are domed on prime, use a big serrated knife to slice a skinny layer off the tops to create a flat floor. That is known as “leveling” the truffles. Discard or crumble over completed cake. Place 1 cake layer in your cake stand or serving plate. Utilizing a large icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cowl the highest with about 1 cup (about 250g) of frosting. High with 2nd layer and unfold remaining frosting everywhere in the prime and sides. A bench scraper is useful for smoothing out the edges. I often go lighter on the edges of the cake, to have leftover frosting for piping across the prime. (Piping is non-obligatory.) If desired, garnish prime of cake with sprinkles.
9. Refrigerate uncovered cake for a minimum of 30–60 minutes earlier than slicing to assist set the form. After that, you’ll be able to serve the cake or proceed refrigerating for as much as 4–6 hours earlier than serving. Cake may 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 carrier for storing and transporting.

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Notes

1. Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You possibly can cut back the Guinness a day forward of time. Let cool, cowl, and refrigerate. Carry lowered 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. Carry to room temperature then proceed with step 7. You possibly can put together the frosting 2–3 days prematurely. Cowl and refrigerate, then convey to room temperature earlier than spreading onto/assembling the cake. Frosted cake freezes properly, as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then convey 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 Carrier (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 info.) 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 may 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 received’t style as moist or wealthy.) Stir it round and let sit for five minutes. The do-it-yourself “buttermilk” will likely 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 should you want it for various Cake Pan Sizes & Conversions.
6. Room Temperature Elements: All refrigerated gadgets ought to be at room temperature so the batter mixes collectively simply and evenly. Learn extra about why room temperature components are vital.
7. Why scorching liquid? You need the lowered Guinness to be scorching once you add it to the remainder of the cake batter, to assist the cocoa powder “bloom.” This makes for the most effective chocolate taste.
8. 9×13-Inch Pan: You possibly can bake this cake as a sheet cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Identical 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