Chocolate Stout Cake with Cream Topping
A great twist on a traditional devil's food cake, this is our favorite recipe to bake for St. Patrick's day. It's moist, with a rich chocolate flavor and creamy topping. It's finished with a stout beer syrup that is magic. You can make the cake and syrup in advance and assemble the cake the day you want to eat it.
Servings 10 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ounce semisweet chocolate
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup creamy stout beer Guinness beer
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the cream topping:
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream cold
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
For the stout syrup:
- ⅔ cup cream stout
- ⅓ cup sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter or spray a rectangular 8x12 inch (20x30 cm) cake pan lined with parchment paper. See Notes below for variations.
- Chop 1 ounce semisweet chocolate and put it in a medium bowl with ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Heat ⅔ cup creamy stout beer in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it almost boils. Don't let it boil. Add to the chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Whisk carefully until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Add ⅓ cup whole milk and mix. Reserve.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, with an electric mixer, or use the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, at medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Add 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar and ½ cup white, beating for 3 minutes, until light-colored and fluffy, and scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing well each time. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste and mix well, scraping down the sides.
- Sift the dry ingredients: 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt, and add them in 3 parts, alternating with the Guinness mixture in 2 parts, mixing well but just until it's incorporated. You start and end with the flour mixture. Don't be tempted to beat too much at this point, as it will make the cake tougher. You can have the dry ingredients measured and sift directly over the butter mixture, or do it in a different bowl if that's easier for you.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The time might vary depending on the pan and oven.
- Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack (cooling rack).
For the cream topping:
- In a large bowl, whip 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream, cold, with 6 tablespoons powdered sugar until it's thick and almost firm peaks form. Be careful at the end, when it's very thick, not to overbeat it, as it might curdle.
- Using a spatula apply to the top of the cake and refrigerate until 20 minutes before you plan to serve it.
- Drizzle with syrup and serve.
For the stout syrup:
- In a small saucepan, mix ⅔ cup cream stout and ⅓ cup sugar.
- Boil for 3 or 4 minutes, until reduced to a honey consistency. Remove from the heat.
- Let cool completely and use to top the cake before serving.
Notes
Stout: I found that the creamy style works best. But since all beers are different depending on where you are, I recommend you use one that is not extremely bitter.
Cream: heavy whipping cream or double cream works best because they hold well due to their higher fat content. You can whip it up in advance, up to 2 days and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
Syrup: This is the perfect addition to finish off this cake. You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for weeks. Use it at room temperature and add it just before serving the cake or to the individual servings.
Chocolate cake: can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a week or the freezer for a month, always well wrapped (in plastic wrap for the refrigerator and adding aluminum foil for the freezer).
Serving: this is a cake to be served, somewhere between cool and room temperature. I recommend assembling it a few hours before and keeping it in the fridge, covered to prevent drying out.
