Guinness Cake Irish chocolate cake
First of all, I can’t resist—I have to tell you right away: this is one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever eaten, it has a unique, indulgent, full-bodied flavor…you’ll have to try it to believe it!!! The ideal cake for chocolate addicts.
The Guinness Cake is an Irish, moist and very soft chocolate cake made with a dark Irish beer, namely Guinness.
Guinness, like all stouts, has roasted aromas, especially of cocoa which pairs perfectly with the rustic, full flavor of barley malt, enhancing the chocolate taste spectacularly.
Not to mention the richness and creaminess of the white Philadelphia-and-cream frosting that covers the cake to resemble the beer’s foam.
The Irish usually make the Guinness Cake on March 17 to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in honor of Saint Patrick (see Notes below) BUT I make it all year round, especially for parties and important occasions like Easter, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas — it’s a sumptuous and elegant dessert that is always a success.
You can find Guinness beer at well-stocked supermarkets or on Amazon by clicking here.
Sour cream can be found in well-stocked supermarkets or at NaturaSì, or you can easily make it at home the day before preparing the Guinness Cake (see my recipe below, in the Notes).
This recipe is a guarantee of success because I was inspired by the great Nigella Lawson (she uses regular granulated sugar, whereas I use muscovado sugar, which gives the cake a unique spiced flavor that I adore).
If you’re looking for tried-and-true, reliably successful recipes, click on the Special: “My TOP recipes.”
If you love chocolate, I recommend clicking on my Special: “Chocolate desserts (or with Nutella)“.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Irish
- Seasonality: All seasons, St. Joseph's Day
Ingredients for the Guinness Cake Irish chocolate cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (00) (I use Caputo 00)
- 1 cup Guinness beer
- 9 oz unsalted butter (I use Berna)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (good quality, I use Van Houten)
- 1 3/4 cups muscovado sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 2 eggs (whole)
- 3 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup sour cream (crème fraîche)
- 11 oz cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch (maizena)
- fine salt
Tools for the Guinness Cake Irish chocolate cake
- Kitchen scale
- Bowls various sizes
- Spatulas set of 3 pastry spatulas
- Mixer Philips electric with 450W power
- Cake pan 8 2/3 in diameter x 3 1/8 in height
Steps for the Guinness Cake Irish chocolate cake
Pour the Guinness into a wide saucepan, add the butter in pieces and warm over low heat until the butter melts (BUT DO NOT BOIL).
When the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and add immediately (while the mixture is still hot, otherwise the sugar won’t dissolve) the sugar and the cocoa, and whisk well by hand; then set the bowl aside and let the mixture cool completely.
Meanwhile, put the two whole eggs, the sour cream, the salt, and the vanilla extract into the bowl of the stand mixer (you can also use a hand mixer) and beat with the whisk for 5 minutes until frothy.
Add the cooled beer-butter-cocoa mixture to the egg mixture, give it a stir with a whisk, and finally add the sifted flour and baking soda, mixing well.
Pour the cake batter into a 22 cm (about 8 2/3 in) diameter pan, buttered (I use a non-stick spray) and floured, and bake in a static oven preheated to 338°F for about 50–60 minutes (depending on your oven).
Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack, since it’s a rather moist cake.
Pour the heavy cream into a cold bowl (the beaters should also be cold) and whip it well.
In another bowl, place the cream cheese (Philadelphia) and smooth it with the electric beaters, then add the powdered sugar, the salt and the sifted cornstarch and beat for about 3 minutes. Finally, fold in the previously whipped cream gently by hand, little by little, from the bottom up.
You’ll obtain a wonderful white frosting, creamy and fluffy, made of cream and cream cheese.
Take the cooled cake and spread a generous amount of frosting over the top, smoothing it with a pastry spatula (or the back of a spoon) to create the effect of beer foam (see photos below).
Put the Guinness cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
The chocolate cake can be prepared a day in advance, but it should be frosted with the frosting shortly before serving.
