Indulge on St. Patrick's Day with this rich and fudgy Guinness chocolate cake. Dark stout beer is reduced to create a rich flavor and topped with a Baileys Irish Cream frosting.
Guinness Chocolate Cake With Irish Cream Frosting Recipe
Chocolate and beer is the combination you never knew you needed in your life. And I know what you are thinking — but don't knock the combination until you try it. The pair create the ultimate dessert for St. Patrick's Day, regardless of how you are celebrating.
Now, when it comes to beer, Guinness isn't my go-to. It's heavy, rich, and has a deep flavor. While those qualities aren't the best (at least according to my tastebuds!) when it comes to drinking beer, they are actually great for baking a cake. The stout pairs perfectly with the chocolate to bring out a malty and almost coffee-like flavor in the cake.
In order to highlight the flavors of the Guinness in the cake, the beer has to be reduced. While this is an easy task, I want to recommend keeping an eye on the beer while you do this, as it is quick to foam up and spill over (not that I'm talking from experience here!). When reduced, the beer flavor intensifies in the best way possible.
The finishing touches for the cake is the Baileys Irish Cream frosting. It combines Baileys Irish Cream, espresso powder, and cocoa powder to create a frosting that has a little bit of everything. It's the perfect pairing to finish off the cake.
Looking for more St. Patrick's Day desserts? Check out my Espresso Rice Krispie Treats With Baileys Irish Cream or Baileys Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Why I Love This Guinness Chocolate Cake With Irish Cream Frosting
- Unexpected Flavors - The malty flavor of the beer brings out the deep flavor of the chocolate.
- Festive Treat - It's a great treat and has all of the classics for a St. Patrick's Day dessert.
- Chocolate Overload - It's chocolate on chocolate in the best way possible.
Ingredients Needed To Make Guinness Chocolate Cake With Irish Cream Frosting
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- Guinness Beer - Reduce the beer to enhance the malty, deep flavor.
- Baileys Irish Cream - A splash of the Irish Cream flavors the frosting.
- Cocoa powder - The cocoa powder creates a rich chocolate flavor.
- Espresso powder - Helps enhance the chocolate flavor in the cake.
- Oil - Keeps the cake nice and most.
How To Make Guinness Chocolate Cake With Irish Cream Frosting
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare an 8x8 pan with grease or parchment. Set to the side.
- Reduce the beer.
In a medium-sized sauce pan, reduce the beer. Let the beer come to a boil and then reduce it to low heat and let it simmer until it is about ½ cup.
- Add dry ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set to the side.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the buttermilk and continue to whisk.
- Combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk to combine. Add in the reduced beer and mix until everything is smooth.
- Bake the cake.
Pour the cake into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 25-30 minutes.
- Make the frosting.
While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Combine all of the ingredients into a stand mixer and mix until smooth.
- Frost the cake.
When the cake is done, let it fully cool. Add the frosting to the cake and enjoy!
Make Ahead and Storage
This cake can be made ahead of time but will taste best fresh. If not serving the cake right away, hold off on frosting it, as it will get soggy. The frosted cake will last 4-5 days in an airtight container.
Any extra Guinness chocolate cake can be frozen. Wrap the pieces of cake in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Tips and Variations
- Buttermilk - Out of buttermilk? Use regular milk and a squeeze of lemon to recreate the flavor.
- Espresso powder - A little goes a long way with the espresso powder, so don't add more if you want a stronger coffee flavor. It enhances the chocolate and enriches the deep flavor.
- Baileys Frosting - Not a fan of the Irish Cream? Leave the Baileys out of the frosting and stick with the espresso and cocoa powder for flavoring.
FAQs
Guinness chocolate tastes like a rich chocolate cake. The beer enhances the cholate flavor with a malty, coffee-like twist. The beer doesn't overpower the chocolate flavor and rather works with it.
The cake uses one can of Guinness in the recipe for the cake. The beer is reduced on the stove and then cooked in the oven, taking out a large portion of the alcohol content.
Guinness beer is a dark stout and has flavors of cherry and raisin. There are also notes of cocoa, chocolate, and coffee, which makes it an excellent addition to the chocolate cake. It is rich and has a deep flavor.
Guinness Chocolate Cake With Baileys Irish Cream Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare an 8x8 pan with parchment or grease. Set to the side.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder. Set to the side.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the buttermilk and mix to fully combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the oil mixture whisking fully to combine. Add in beer and whisk until everything is smooth.
- Pour the cake into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Combine the butter and powdered sugar in the base of a stand mixer or in the bowl of a hand mixer on low. When the powdered sugar is mostly combined, add in the cocoa powder, espresso powder, Baileys, vanilla, and milk. Continue to mix until smooth.
- When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and let it fully cool. Frost the cake when it is fully cool and enjoy!
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