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CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE

This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I can't say that you can absolutely taste the stout in it, but there is certainly a resonant, ferrous tang which I happen to love. The best way of describing it is to say that it's like gingerbread without the spices. There is enough sugar - a certain understatement here - to counter any potential bitterness of the Guinness, and although I've eaten versions of this made up like a chocolate sandwich cake, stuffed and slathered in a rich chocolate icing, I think that can take away from its dark majesty. Besides, I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting to echo the pale head that sits on top of a glass of stout. It's unconventional to add cream but it makes it frothier and lighter which I regard as aesthetically and gastronomically desirable. But it is perfectly acceptable to leave the cake un-iced: in fact, it tastes gorgeous plain.

Recipe posted by Nigella

Ingredients

  • Nigella Recipe

FOR THE CAKE

  • 250ml Guinness
  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 75g cocoa
  • 400g caster sugar
  • 1 x 142ml pot sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
  • 275g plain flour
  • 2 1/2teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

FOR THE TOPPING:

  • 300g Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 150g icing sugar
  • 125ml double or whipping cream

Method

Serves: Makes about 12 slices
  1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C, and butter and line a 23cm springform tin.
  2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.
  3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
  4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.
  5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.
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Comments

  • Really nice cake. I made a dairy-free version using vegan cream cheese as an alternative to the sour cream and of course dairy- free butter instead of dairy butter. It worked out great :)

    Posted by Tawny on 30th Apr 2011 at 23.28

  • With a BBQ iminent I just threw the ingredients together roughly following the recipe but what turned out was a very pleasant surprise!!! The cake was very light and deliciously moist and the taste was heaven!! Am I an inspiring young cook? No, I am male, just 70years old and this was a terrific birthday cake to enjoy!!!!!!! Now, please excuse me, while I tackle the Coffee and Walnut cake, I can feel another BBQ coming on!! Well Done Nigella, Regards Jim Spiers

    Posted by JimSpiers on 8th Jun 2011 at 12.13

  • I recently made this for my hubbie's birthday cake. It was a great success, even the kids loved it. The cake is dense and moist, with just a slight hint of the bitter guinness flavour. The topping is totally lush - in fact I could eat this alone as a dessert! I wasn't sure whether to use draft or original Guinness at first. I opted for original, simply because you can buy a single bottle rather than having to buy a 4 pack. This recipe makes a rather large cake. It would easily serve 16-20 people. Dead easy to make, and dead easy to eat! Delicious.

    Posted by Bectoria41 on 13th Jun 2011 at 11.14

  • My favourite cake! Everyone comments on how fantastic it is, alot of people go back for 2nds. I always keep a bottle of Guinness on hand so i can whip a cake up. Yummy!

    Posted by kirstenk on 6th Aug 2011 at 10.20

  • I love the chocolate guiness cake but every time i make it ,in order to fully cook the centre i over cook the perimeter, not horribly just a little dry, ant ideas what i am doing wrong?

    Posted by gavin j on 11th Aug 2011 at 3.05

  • This recipe is so easy and yummy, you can see the one I made at www.riversidebaking.blogspot.com It comes out moist and delicious and doesn't taste very much like Guinness at all.

    Posted by Riversidebaking on 18th Sep 2011 at 16.53

  • I have just made 24 cupcakes with this recipe. I have tasted one without the icing and it is the best chocolate cake I have eaten. I think the cup cakes will be even better tomorrow.

    Posted by tashcan on 8th Oct 2011 at 5.48

  • This is the chocolate cake I get the most requests to make! Its fab!

    Posted by kittybun on 13th Oct 2011 at 17.02

  • This looks SO yummy! I want to make this for my husband's birthday but he prefers cupcakes :) How long would you bake cupcakes for?

    Posted by Jenn Marie on 24th Oct 2011 at 6.33

  • My Nephew's girlfriend made this for his birthday and it was wonderful - the best cake ever. Nigella, I wonder whether it's possible to freeze it? It would be very nice to have one for 'Cake Emergencies'!

    Posted by Bunty 123 on 26th Oct 2011 at 1.48

  • Fantastic cake...just made it for a charity bake sale and it cut into 20 pieces, at £2 each..good going! couldn't resist buying a slice for myself too! I had to bake mine for 1hr 10 minutes to get it cooked through, but it didn't suffer! Delicious chocolatey, dark cake..icing is a tad sweet so i'd probably up the cheese content to 400g...otherwise great, will be making again...after I go for a run!

    Posted by n_parker21 on 28th Oct 2011 at 13.32

  • I made this mix into cup cakes and it made 24 , I am going to make them for christmas and decorate them with holly leaves and berries and take them to a friends house for boxing day tea......very yummy

    Posted by janine63 on 11th Nov 2011 at 0.54

  • Awesome cake! All the family loved it, Even the 'cake haters' went for seconds!!! I must admit I was a little dubious about the cake batter mix as it seemed to be quite runny, but fighting the urge to spoon in a little more flour, I ended up with a stunning cake that filled the house with gorgeous smells while baking! And as for the timings people keep commenting about....I set my timer for 50mins, gave the cake a poke with a knife and it came out with quite sticky cake batter on it, did the same again after 5 minutes, and after 10, then perfection. Guys just keep an eye on your cake, it turns from being quite wobbly, the best way to explain it, to being firm in no time at all. I will be making this cake again, as its the best chocolate cake I've EVER had.

    Posted by King of my Kitchen on 31st Dec 2011 at 22.42

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