Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake

You do not have to make a Chocolate Guinness Stout cake just for St. Patrick’s day.  

Another plus for baking this outside of St. Patrick’s Day, besides the obvious is, if you choose to make it any other time of the year, you will have a better chance of finding Guinness.

And if we eat with the eyes first, pouring a pint of Guinness is as beautiful as slicing this Chocolate Guinness Stout cake.  And vice versa.

This is a big beautiful cake.

It is so melt in your mouth and moist and rich and not too heavy or sweet with a delicious frosting that is part cream cheese.

A stout is made from malt and more barley than some beers, giving it chocolate or sweet coffee characteristics.  

It does not taste as strong and heavy as it looks.  It’s alcohol content is equal to that of a light beer.

A stout is a source of B vitamins, mainly folate, and antioxidants, as red wine does. It is prebiotic, which means it feeds the healthy bacteria in your stomach, aiding in digestion. 

It is also a source of alcohol.  Not so much in this Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake though because we simmer the stout and then bake it in the cake. 

A pint of Guinness is simmered for a couple of minutes, to let it evaporate a bit, before it is combined with butter, cocoa and sugar.

How To Make a Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake to feed a crowd

Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake ingredients

Chocolate Guinness Stout cake Frosting ingredients

For the Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake

Line 3 – 9” cake pans

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) 

1. Bring the stout to a boil, lower to a simmer for two minutes, then add the butter and oil.

2. Stir in the cocoa and sugar.

3. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture enough to handle.  Pour into a large mixing bowl.

4. Sift and combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5. Beat the eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture for about a minute.

6. Add the vanilla

Pour the Stout mixture into a large mixing bowl

7. Add flour mixture in 3 increments alternating with the sour cream in 2 increments beginning and ending with the four mixture.  This will make for an evenly mixed batter and evenly baked cake.

8. Divide the batter into the pans using a scale or scooping equal amounts.  

9. Firmly tap the pans to release large air bubbles and use cake wraps for evenness if you have them.

10. Bake for about 40 minutes.  Check for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester.

Let cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting 

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.

2. Beat in the melted unsweetened chocolate.

3. Gradually add the icing sugar and the vanilla, beat until pale.

4. With the beaters running on low to medium speed, carefully add the boiling water, one tablespoon at a time.  Watch for splashing.

Beat until light and creamy.

Carefully beat in the hot water until smooth

Loosen the cakes from the pan and turn one out onto a serving plate.

Top each layer of cake with about a quarter of the icing and a fourth of the icing on the outside.

Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Peel away the parchment

Frost over again to smooth