Nigella’s Chocolate Guinness Cake

Nigella’s chocolate Guinness cake has been on my bucket list for y-e-a-r-s. Because Guinness + chocolate + cake = my dream dessert and there’s no other cake that is more worthy or more perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.

Guinness stout and chocolate collide in a moist, chocolatey cake.

I love that this is a single-layered cake and is baked in a 9-inch springform pan. The end result being one thick and decadent layered cake topped with cream cheese frosting– and you don’t even need to frost the sides! Nope, just spread over the top and you’re good to go.

Pat has always been a chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting fan, although he was skeptic at the thought of beer (and Guinness at that) and chocolate was going to be commingling with his beloved cream cheese frosting. But you guys, he actually really like this cake. Like he ate two pieces, back to back. My girls LOVED it too. But they’ve never had a chocolate cake that they didn’t like.

They said, and I quote “This cake’s lit“.

To Make Nigella’s Chocolate Guiness Cake You will Need:

• unbleached all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• baking soda
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• unsalted butter
• Guinness
• eggs
• sour cream
• vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃).

Next, butter a 9-inch spring form pan with 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Then dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa and set it off to the side.

In a large bowl, measure the flour and baking soda, whisk to combine and set off to the side.

Then in a wide sauce pan, combine the remaining 10 tablespoons of butter and the cup of Guinness.

Heat on medium-low until the butter has melted, not boiling.

Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup of sour cream, 2 large eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Once the butter has melted, add in the sugar and cocoa powder. I’m using 1/2 cup of regular unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of black cocoa powder. Only because I did not have the full amount in the regular unsweetened. Black cocoa does give this cake a darker color, which I like. Whisk to combine the sugar and cocoa in with the beer and butter.

Then add in the egg/sour cream mixture and whisk to combine.

Now pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the flour and baking soda.

Next simply stir until the wet ingredients have incorporated with the dry.

Lastly, pour the chocolate Guinness cake batter into your prepared pan. Place the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with only a light trace of batter clinging to it.

Smells incredible.

But you will want to allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. I started to use the cream cheese frosting recipe that was with the cake but found it to be too thin for my preference. So this the recipe below is my adaptation. It’s still easy peasy and tastes fabulous.

I do detect the faintest beer hints, but the chocolate rounds it out nicely. It isn’t an overly sweet cake, and it’s delicious served cold wit a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Slice. Serve. And prepare to fall in love with Nigella’s chocolate Guinness cake!

For more St. Patrick’s Day Recipes Click Here!

Enjoy! And if you give this Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 14 servings

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Nigella's Guinness chocolate cake has been on my bucket list for y-e-a-r-s. Because Guinness + chocolate + cake = my dream dessert.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Ingredients

FOR THE GUINNESS CHOCOLATE CAKE:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 1 cup Guinness stout beer
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2½ teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups ultra fine sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 2 tablespoons for pan

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2½ cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk, or heavy cream

Equipment

• Nordic Ware Leakproof Springform Pan, 10 Cup, 9 Inch

Instructions 

FOR THE CAKE:

• Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃).
• Butter a 9-inch spring form pan with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Dust with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, tap out the excess cocoa powder and set off to the side.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking soda and then set off to the side as well.
• In a wide sauce pan, add the remaining 10 tablespoons of butter with the beer. Heat on medium-low until melted. Once melted, stir in the sugar and cocoa powder.
• Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract. Then add this mixture into the cocoa/beer mixture and whisk to combine.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir until incorporated, then pour the chocolate Guinness cake batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with only a trace of batter attached.
• Allow the cake to cool before frosting.

FOR THE FROSTING:

• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and the milk. If frosting is too thick, add more sifted powdered sugar. If too thick, thin out with a little more milk.
• Once the frosting is smooth, frost only the top of the cake, leaving the sides of the dark brown cake exposed. The cake should resemble a pint of Guinness.

Serving: 1g, Calories: 440kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 272mg, Potassium: 147mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 51g, Vitamin A: 587IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 2mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats

Cuisine: Irish

Recipe slightly and lovingly adapted from Nigella Lawson.