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
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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
I'm from the Netherlands and it was hard for me to find the bicarbonate of soda . But in the end I found it in an Asian foodshop. I made it for my boyfriends birthday who is a big fan of Guinness. It was a huge success with the family and friends and today I'm making another one for a friend of us celebrating his birthday tomorrow! He demanded that I'd make the cake again!
Posted by Lucy90 on 2nd Feb 2012 at 12.07
Wow, amazing cake. Loved it to bits - only thing is it needs salt. Added a teaspoon the second time I made it and it was even better.
Posted by dam0dred on 17th Mar 2012 at 15.54
I first made this Chocolate Guinness Cake as part of an Oral History presentation on the history of Guinness. Obviously, I was not along to bring in pints of beer to share - this recipe was the absolute perfect substitute. Everyone loved the cake including my professor who awarded me an A+ on the oral presentation. Many thanks to Nigella for sharing this wonderful recipe. I have just finished baking both another Chocolate Guinness Cake to share with the neighbors and a batch of Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes to share with the family in the morning.
Posted by ray1759 on 17th Mar 2012 at 19.37
On looking at previous comments, thought I just had to try this. Have used a half-quantity version and cooked them as muffin-sized cupcakes, baked for 25mins. This made a dozen largish cupcakes. I have to say, although I'm a very casual baker, it's very rare a recipe really impresses me, especially a version on such a well-loved favourite as chocolate cake, but this is just superb! The wet batter came out cooked as light and sponge-like and the flavour was wonderful. There is no cloying sweetness and the guinness seems to add a punch to the chocolate flavour in a similar way that adding coffee does to chocolate. I haven't even iced these babies and they are perfectly fine on their own - in fact they are disappearing fast!
Posted by poodlehead on 31st Mar 2012 at 13.12
Hi Nigella I tried your cake and It was wonderful. I hope you would like to take a look to the picture of the cake on my fotography blog. http://insidethebag.tumblr.com/post/20780323126/swedish-fika-like-italian-merenda-like-english
Posted by Insidethebag on 9th Apr 2012 at 18.50
Made this cake for my father in laws birthday. A great success with everyone. The only thing I added was a teaspoon on vanilla extract to the cream cheese topping. Will definitely make again.
Posted by 911Mum on 6th May 2012 at 21.17
this is the BEST CAKE i have EVER eaten!! It is AMAZING. I've baked it for people at work and for people's birthdays and everyone goes mad for it! I don't find it the easiest cake to make but definitely the most satisfying. It tastes delicious even before it's been put in the oven. I can't recommend this cake enough, people will love you forever if you make this for them.
Posted by mossup on 8th Jul 2012 at 13.37
Amazing cake, Other Half was VERY pleased with the cake (it was for his birthday!), but I found the Cream Cheese Frosting went very runny, despite beating it thoroughly! Will be attempting it again though!!!
Posted by Abbers on 14th Sep 2012 at 22.10
I would love to make this cake - Do you have a conversion for American cooks, (cups.ozs instead of weight/mls)? Thank you
Posted by princemair on 9th Oct 2012 at 23.05
This cake is delicious especially when layered with strawberries and cream for a summer treat.
Posted by bfen on 12th Oct 2012 at 0.44
Wow thanks for this, being a biker I am going to give this a go with Newcastle Brown which has a sweet edge to it.
Posted by Scalli on 15th Dec 2012 at 21.19
Love, love, love this recipe! I've made it a dozen times and always to rave reviews. This cream cheese frosting is now my go-to cream cheese frosting; it's so light and flavorful (unlike so many other cream cheese frostings).
Posted by Ludodog on 20th Dec 2012 at 17.04
This is a wonderful cake we first tried a couple of years ago. My husband now requests this as his birthday cake...so yummy!
Posted by Oracle575 on 29th Dec 2012 at 18.29
I made this for new year's and it was the best! I was so very surprised at how amazing it tasted! i am not going to make another one today for a friend's birthday who is a great fan of Guinness! Thnx Nigella!
Posted by bela83 on 9th Jan 2013 at 10.39
I tried this recipe and have made it thrice so far!! It is easy and makes a huge impact - everyone has seconds - even the die hard diet addicts. To me nothing could be a better statement of success. I piped out the frosting which makes the end result even more glamorous.
Posted by Kripsy on 27th Jan 2013 at 10.50
Dear lordy the frosting!! I'm not a fan of cake (pretty much hate it thanks to summers working in a bakery) but this is amazing! I used Guinness Kaliber (non-alcoholic) rather than a proper Guinness because I already had a six-pack on hand. Amazing. It came out light and chewy and like a fudgy brownie. Definitely chocolatey alchemy.
Posted by Galadri on 31st Jan 2013 at 14.55
I am so useless at baking, and I think it boils down to the precision and the waiting time - I always forget the cake in the oven or pull it out too soon as so impatient. But I have to admit that this is the only cake I seem to get right every time. I love it. Really great recipe, thanks Nigella.
Posted by Cazzienic on 2nd Feb 2013 at 6.58
Fabulous cake, but made with double choc stout instead. The cake delivered as promised. Moist and rich and yet still light. Moreish...
Posted by Twelveoaks195 on 10th Feb 2013 at 8.55
I am a vanilla butter cake fan all the way but this cake has converted me! The best chocolate cake I've ever had. It is dense and light at the same time and even though I overcooked it a little there were no dry bits. I made it for Valentine's day for my stout-loving, chocolate-cake obsessed hubby and it was a huge hit. Stuck exactly to the recipe but used raw caster sugar and sprinkled a red love heart on the top. Froze left over slices with icing and just defrosted in microwave for 15 sec and they were perfect. The only chocolate cake I will make from now on. Thanks Nigella!
Posted by nhadams on 24th Feb 2013 at 11.43
This is an AMAZING cake! I made it for the first time several (more than 5) years ago... I make it at least annually since my husband requests it each year for his birthday cake! Easy and divine.
Posted by freefallinsunshine on 12th Mar 2013 at 18.38
This cake is simply divine, so dense and moist.
Posted by aboutthesouffle on 17th Mar 2013 at 20.00
I've made this a few times now. It works every time and is always great! This past time I made it into cupcakes. The mixture made about 20 mufin cases worth and they took about 20-25 minutes to cook. While they were really good, the full cake is 'damper' inside and that's what I love about this cake.. so I'd probably not bother with the cupcakes again.. the cake really is amazing. I'm not a Guinness fan either...
Posted by chi on 18th Mar 2013 at 12.35
This is my St. Patrick's Day cake every year! it's easy to make and big enough to feed lots of people, appeals to adults and kids and, not that there is likely to be any left, it holds really well in the fridge i actually think it's one of the few cakes I prefer the following day straight from the fridge. It's a great party cake and the topping is perfect :)
Posted by Melaniexox on 19th Mar 2013 at 15.54
Love this recipes, it works much better when you mix up the sugars, 1 part caster, 1 part granulated or brown. I find the caster sugar makes it lighter and the other sugars add to the deep, darkness of the cake. It's a winner!
Posted by Craig C on 20th Mar 2013 at 10.32
Brilliant recipe - so easy. I used 1/3rd less sugar and it was still sweet enough for me. I was serving it as a dessert, so used whipped cream for the topping, which looked like the "head" on a Guinness, and also, no extra sugar! I'm not a sweet person (in all senses) so this was perfect.
Posted by SueIOW on 26th Mar 2013 at 17.43
The cake is still baking, but we tasted the icing,and found it a bit too sweet and cream cheese-y.....so I did what I do for carrot cake icing, and added the zest of a lime, and about 1Tbsp of lime juice - made a huge difference.
Posted by Souter35 on 1st Apr 2013 at 20.21
Judging by the other comments posted I need not tell you this cake is chocolate cake is divine. If you love cake like I do it will be life altering. While it was baking my entire house smelled like an Oreo cookie (I'm American), and to my surprise the little crispy bits that formed on the inside of the pan where I smeared a bit of batter tasted just like Oreos. I digress. This cake is what I fantasize about when I am sitting on my couch at night craving chocolate cake; rich, dense, moist and oh so chocolatey. The Guinness is barely detectable and gives the cake a nice flavor. I'm not a huge fan of cream cheese frosting and usually leave it for carrot cake, but this one was good because it wasn't overly sweet. However, I did find myself scraping it off after the first couple of bites to enjoy the flavor and texture of the plain cake. I'm going to attempt to make this again but substitute strong coffee for the Guinness and use a chocolate butter cream or whipped ganache for a complete chocoholic indulgence. My heart is beating faster just thinking about it. Thank you Nigella for this wonderful recipe!!!
Posted by Ninderella on 3rd Apr 2013 at 1.07
Being Irish I just had to make this cake for St Patricks Day, the smell in the house while it cooked was amazing, didn't do topping though just added some whipped double cream to everyones plate, totally delicious, especially after a bowl of Irish Stew! Don't think I'll be able to wait until next year before another one is made! Thanks Nigella.
Posted by Jo74 on 6th Apr 2013 at 11.54
Wow made this at the weekend, one of the best cakes I have made, very rich but fab.
Posted by Eilisburke on 17th Apr 2013 at 22.35
This makes a fantastic dessert! I tried it with a mocha cheesecake frosting instead of the plain cream cheese and it was the perfect touch to go with the Guinness and chocolate.
Posted by misarchaeologist on 21st Apr 2013 at 13.29
Can this cake be frozen once iced? Please someone let me know.
Posted by Crazycatclaire on 24th Apr 2013 at 11.49