Guinness Chocolate Cake

My Irish spirit definitely goes into high gear when St. Patrick’s Day rolls around! I’m only about 1/8 Irish from my Mom’s side because while lovely Jeanie was all Lebanese, my Papa was Irish and Swedish. So that’s enough to justify my love for St. Patrick’s day…right? Anyway, I love cooking up a traditional Irish meal for the occasion. To cap it off I decided to work on a super decadent Guinness chocolate cake recipe and oh my goodness was I happy I did!

Once I tried it, I could only just close my eyes and sigh happily. The Guinness was there but not overwhelming. The real effect from it was how it enhanced the chocolate in the most amazing way. The bubbly properties of the beer also made the cake crumb incredibly light and airy. This Guinness chocolate cake was a showstopper and didn’t involve a lot of fuss. My kind of cake with all of the beauty of the Irish!

5 from 1 vote

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Guinness Chocolate Cake

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr 1 min

 

This incredibly decadent Guinness chocolate cake is so luscious and flavorful. It's the perfect dessert to celebrate St. Patrick's day! 

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Cake, Guinness Chocolate Cake

Servings: 1 cake

Calories: 745 kcal

Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces bittersweet bakers chocolate coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 2 sticks butter softened to room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 whole egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 cup Guinness beer

FOR THE FROSTING

• 8 ounces bittersweet bakers chocolate coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 2 tablespoons Guinness beer
• 2 sticks unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Take two 9 inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper, then spray them liberally with cooking spray. In a bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set the bowl aside. In another microwave safe bowl combine the bakers chocolate and almond milk. Microwave it for 30 seconds to a minute, until it is melted. Stir it together thoroughly into a smooth ganache and set it aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until it is completely fluffy and soft. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, letting each one get stirred in before the next one gets added. Then add the white vinegar and let it get stirred in completely.
3. Turn the speed to low and slowly add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the Guinness. Then add the next third of the dry ingredients followed by the rest of the Guinness. Lastly, pour the remaining dry ingredients until everything is just combined into a batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the chocolate ganache to make it super rich.
4. Evenly divide the batter among the two prepared cake pans and smooth out the batter in each pan to be nice and even. Let them bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until they are completely done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Take them out and let them cool for at least 30 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto individual plates to finish cooling completely for another 20 to 30 minutes. The cake layers can be made ahead to this point if desired. Just cover them and refrigerate them up to 24 hours.
5. While the layers cool, or the next day if making ahead, prepare the buttercream frosting. You will need to make sure your stand mixer bowl and paddle attachment are clean from making the cake batter. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Combine the chocolate, sugar, almond milk and Guinness in a heatproof bowl and set it over the simmering water without letting the bottom touch the water. Let the chocolate melt in the double boiler while stirring with a heatproof spoon or spatula until the mixture it smooth and shiny. Take the bowl off of the heat and set it aside.
6. In the stand mixer bowl thoroughly beat the butter until it is fluffy and creamy with the paddle attachment. Add the pinch of salt and the shiny ganache to let them get completely stirred in. Then slowly add the powdered sugar on low speed until a fluffy, luscious frosting forms.
7. Line a pretty cake plate with parchment paper to keep it clean while frosting. Carefully add the first cake layer and generously frost the top of it. Then put the second layer on top of the frosting and completely frost the top and sides of the cake with an offset spatula to make it smooth. Carefully slide the parchment paper out from under the cake, then slice the cake and serve immediately!

Nutrition Facts

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 745 Calories from Fat 371

% Daily Value*

Fat 41.2g63%

Saturated Fat 26.1g163%

Cholesterol 143mg48%

Sodium 168mg7%

Potassium 124mg4%

Carbohydrates 93.4g31%

Fiber 1.5g6%

Sugar 82.7g92%

Protein 4.9g10%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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