Baked Guinness Stout Cheesecake

This Baked Guinness Stout Cheesecake is incredibly good.  I eat it slowly savouring every delicious, melt in your mouth bite and when I finish, I have to tell myself that that is enough cheesecake for today and I look around hopefully that I have hidden a bite somewhere for myself.  I do that sometimes.

A handy pint of stout is simmered and reduced to ¾ of a cup (187mL), then baked in the cheesecake for an hour, so, no, there is no alcohol in this cake.  

Just concentrated rich stout flavour that I think I will try to use as an ingredient more often than just cake.

I had made a Chocolate Stout Cake and was about to make another with the “leftover” Stout in the fridge, but then I thought, “wait a minute”. I also had 2 pounds of “leftover” cream cheese.  Let me tell you, I am really happy how this turned out.

I totally extra’d this one up.

Whipped coffee flavoured cream cheese has been piled on top, like a stout head or coffee crown and a bit of grated chocolate all emphasizing the stout. 

Caramelly Biscoff cookies are used for the crust, but you could use shortbread or a graham cracker crust.

Guinness stout is a dark dry stout that originated in Ireland. 

I am certain, but you can look it up if you would like, that it is the most well known Irish stout if not all stouts, although the Guinness company produces other types of beer as well.

How To Make a Baked Guinness Stout Cheesecake

For the Baked Stout Cheesecake

1. Pour the Guinness stout into a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes. I use a ruler to give me an idea at what rate we are evaporating.

Reduce the stout to ¾ cup (187mL).  Refrigerate.

2. Preheat oven 350°F (180°C)

3. Crush or process the cookies into fine crumbs and combine well with the melted butter.

Press into the bottom of a 9” (23cm) springform or cheesecake pan.  I like to line it.  An 8″ (20cm) pan will not be large enough.

4. Bake for 10 minutes then cool completely before wrapping or the crust may get steamed.

5. Place on top of a large square of foil that will envelope the pan completely.  Fold up the foil over the pan.  A bowl shape that is open at the top is not enough.  Water, or at least steam may get in.  This will be going into a water bath.

I often use cake wraps with success, if you have those.

As you combine the cheesecake ingredients, make sure that you scrape the bowl completely from the bottom.  Do this often whether you are using a hand blender or stand mixer.

Don’t beat this at high speed or it will aerate the mixture too much and when baking it may rise too quickly and not stay that way. (Bluntly, it will sink and crack).

6. Boil at least a litre of water for the water bath.

7. Preheat the oven to 450°F(230°C)

8. Beat together on medium speed the cream cheese and sugar.

9. Beat the eggs in one at a time and the yolk.

10. Add the cornstarch, sour cream and the cream.

11. Slowly add the vanilla and cooled reduced stout.

12. Pour the stout cheesecake mixture into the prepared crust.

13. Place a roasting pan or similar into the oven.  Place the cheesecake in the pan and pour boiling water around  the cheesecake to come about halfway up the pan.

It has to be boiling water or you will be waiting for the water to come up to temperature.

14. Bake the cheesecake at 450°F(230°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F (165°C) and bake for 40 -45 minutes. It will be quite wobbly.

After it has baked for that time, turn off the oven, but leave the cheesecake in the oven for about an hour.

It will have risen quite a bit.  If you bring the cheesecake out right away, it will cool too quickly and sink and crack.

Refrigerate the baked cheesecake for at least 4 hours.  I usually finish it the next day.

For the Coffee Cream Cheese Topping 

1. Dissolve the instant coffee in the heated whipping cream. Refrigerate until cool.

2. In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream to soft peaks, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.   Scrape the bowl often.

4. Mix in the coffee mixture and fold in the whipping cream

Spread casually over the chilled baked cheesecake.

Garnish with grated chocolate.