So much for Summer; for the last week we've had nothing but grey skies and rain. It has been properly gloomy, but SO uncomfortably humid; especially at night, when we all, including Ringo the dog, have been struggling to sleep. There has been so much rain in fact that there has even been quite a bit of flooding near my house... in Birmingham! The gloomy weather and lack of sleep called for cake, chocolate cake to be specific. Dark, dense and richly flavoured chocolate stout cake, topped with a thick layer of silky-smooth stout ganache; grown-up chocolate cake heaven.
You don't need to like stout to love this cake (I hate drinking stout, I'm more of a cider kind of girl), as it doesn't taste overtly of the stout, instead it provides a malty, slightly boozy tang which accentuates the richness of the chocolate; it also makes the cake incredibly moist and soft. It is the kind of cake that keeps really well in a tin, ready for you to slice a bit off whenever you need an energy boost. It also works well as a pudding, served with a scoop of ice cream.
The most well known type of stout is Guinness, but you certainly don't need to use that particular one (I didn't); I used it both in the cake and in the ganache, to which it also gives a delicious hint of malt and boozy backnote; so this definitely isn't a cake for children unless they happen to have very grown-up tastebuds!
Chocolate Stout Cake With Stout Ganache (Guinness Chocolate Cake)
Ingredients
Cake:
- 250 g (1 cup + 1tbsp) butter, in thin slices
- 250 ml (1 cup) stout (Guinness)
- 275 g (2 + ¼ cups) plain flour
- 75 g (⅔ cup) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g (⅔ cup) full fat sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g (1 cup + 2tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- 150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
Ganache:
- 200 g (7oz) dark chocolate, chopped
- 100 ml (scant ½ cup) double (heavy) cream
- 100 ml (scant ½ cup) stout (Guinness)
- 15 g (1 tbsp) butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a deep, 23cm/9in round tin and line with baking parchment.
- Place the butter and stout in a medium saucepan and heat gently until the butter is melted then remove from the heat.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract and sugars until very smooth. Fold ⅓rd of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, followed by ⅓rd of the stout mixture; repeat until all the ingredients are mixed together.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the cake feels firm and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with tin foil part way through baking if the top starts to get too dark.
- Leave to cool in the tin for about half an hour then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely (it is delicate when warn so be careful).
- To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream and stout together until just boiling then pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then stir until smooth; add the butter and stir until it has melted and the ganache is smooth.
- Leave the ganache to cool until it is thick and spreadable, then place the cake on a serving platter and spread the ganache in a thick layer over the top. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
I am sharing this with Fiesta Friday hosted by Love In The Kitchen and Spades, Spatulas And Spoons, Foodie FriDIY, Foodie Friends Friday and Friday Features
The Purley Girly
This sounds and looks heavenly!
Sally hossack
Looks and sounds delicious. Are you bringing some at the weekend?
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
Absolutely love the look and sound of your cake. Although I too aren't a stout drinker this is certainly going on my 'to make' list, given the fact that it simply brinks, malt notes rather than being in your face stout. Lovely shine to the ganache too.
Angela x
hannahhossack
Thanks Angela, yes it works really well with the chocolate to give a rich malty flavour, yum! x
Sarah
Wow! Can it get any better and richer than this? Absolutely delicious!
hannahhossack
It is probably one of the richest chocolate cakes I have had, not so rich that you can't manage a large slice though!
michelle@oblogoff
Always looking for a new cake recipe! I saw this on Fiesta Friday and had to click! Beautiful pictures too!
hannahhossack
Thanks Michelle 🙂
Julianna
Wow, how decadent!! What a gorgeous cake you have created!
Tori//Gringalicious
Yummm! That ganache is seriously killing me with cravings! Must. Eat. Chocolate!
Liz
Oh wow! This looks delicious. Love the addition of the stout. We are going to Ireland in September for 2 weeks and it's fun to see a recipe using Guinness. I have pinned the recipe for future desserts.
hannahhossack
Thanks Liz, I hope you have fun in Ireland!
Lindy
Oh this is wonderful -I've made a few things with stout but never a cake - I can imagine how moist this would be and how flavourful. A must try! Thanks for bringing it to Fiesta Friday!!
hannahhossack
Thanks Lindy, it is fantastic in cakes and gives such a rich, malty flavour.
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen
Wow! This is my kind of chocolate cake, I love the addition of Guinness! It looks so decadent and rich, Hannah, just delicious. xx
hannahhossack
Thanks Louise! I can confirm that it is very rich, decadent and delicious - slightly dangerous to have around as I couldn't resist cutting myself a slither every time I went into the kitchen... needless to say it didn't last long! xx
Nadia@maisontravers
I made a Guinness cake and posted on my blog a few months ago and loved it. I too do not drink stout or beer or beer, I am a wine and champagne girl but this cake is to die for.
hannahhossack
Guinness just works so well in cakes, I've baked red wine chocolate cake before as well which was incredibly good; I guess I just like baking with alcohol!
nicole (thespicetrain.com)
I am not a stout drinker either but I sure love the sound of malty and boozy! This cake looks incredible!
hannahhossack
Thanks Nicole! I don't like to drink it but it does work so well with chocolate 🙂
Ricky
Wow, this looks delicious. My fiancee once made me Guinness cupcakes and, while I'm remembering how good they were, I think I'm going to have to try this recipe. Maybe I can bake her a cake this time. That seems like a fair trade, right? You make me cupcakes and then, like, 4 years later I make you a cake?
-III
http://www.amodernvillain.com/blog/2016/6/24/slytherin-gift-guide
Mercedes
The cake is in the oven, so I can't comment on the finished product yet, but the batter is the best I've ever licked from a bowl!
hannahhossack
I do enjoy licking the bowl - cooks perks! Thanks Mercedes 🙂
Caroline
Turned these into cupcakes as I didn’t have a deep enough pan. These are epically delicious! Best chocolate cake I’ve made in years!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Jenna
Hi, how long does this cake last without the ganache and all? The cake is in the oven now but I'll be only using them 2 days later...should I keep them in room temperature or the fridge?
Thank you
hannahhossack
Hi Jenna, room temperature in an airtight container is fine. I think it should keep for about 4 days.