St. Patrick’s day is almost here and I am busy party planning and recipe testing. As always, I gain a lot of my inspiration from the many weeks I spend in Ireland each year, leading my Shamrock and Peach Tours and getting to taste the island. One trending cake that I have noticed in Irish coffee shops and casual style pub menus is Chocolate Stout cake.
Chocolate stout you say?
Yes, the intense chocolate flavor and just a hint of rich Irish stout makes for one of my favorite cakes. I mean… what’s not to love? The natural chocolate flavor in the stout is fabulous and the cake itself does not taste overly ‘sweet’. The fluffy Irish cream icing only adds to the deliciousness. It’s also one of those easy, never fail recipes as well worthy of a St. Patrick’s Day celebration .
Wishing you a happy (early) St. Patrick’s Day and I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family have! Here it is……
(for the cake)
- 1 cup Guinness beer
- 10 Tbsp (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cups of sour cream
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- (for the icing)
- 4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2 oz (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp Irish Cream Liquor
- (for the garnish)
- 1 oz. chocolate (shaved)
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9’ spring form style pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the beer and butter in a small saucepan and heat until the butter has melted, whisking to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder whisking to combine and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool.
- Measure the flour, baking soda and salt together.
- Beat the eggs and sour cream together by hand or with an electric mixer. Add the cooled chocolate Guinness mixture and beat on low speed to combine. Finally add the dry ingredients a Tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Pour the batter in to the lined spring-form pan.
- Bake the cake for 45- 50 minutes until it has risen. To test if the cake is done place a skewer in the center of the cake and it should come out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack.
- To make the icing whip the cream cheese and butter together until they are light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and the Irish cream whipping together until it is smooth.
- Remove the cake from the spring-form pan and place on a serving plate. Using a spatula smooth the icing over the cake.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings.
Judith the Irish foodie
www.shamrockandpeach.com