Last night we had friends over for dinner and I found this cake on The LoveBite, my new favorite website: http://thelovebite.com. It was a little dry, but whipped cream on top made it delicious. Poking the top a few times with a toothpick and drizzling whiskey might be a way to make this a favorite. The recipe is simple and surprising: Extra Stout Guinness Beer is the secret.Chocolate Guinness Cake
1 stick unsalted butter
9oz brown sugar (one ounce over one cup)
2 eggs
3/4 cup guinness
1/4 cup of cocoa
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
handful of semisweet chocolate chunks
small carton of heavy cream
a piece of dark chocolate for decorative shaving
Soften the butter and cream it with brown sugar, then beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. Mix 3/4 cup Guinness with the cocoa and some vanilla (the cocoa won't dissolve, so don't try too hard). In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. Add 1/3 guinness mix and 1/3 flour mix to creamed butter and sugar, mix. add more flour and Guinness, mix, add remaining flour and Guinness. Pour the mix into a buttered 9 inch cake pan. Press a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chunks into the batter. Bake in a pre heated oven (375f) for 40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then invert cake onto a wire rack and let it cool.
We sprinkled a pattern of confectioner's sugar on it and served it with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings, but you could also glaze it or frost it, pour some ganache on it, soak it in whiskey....so many ways. The unique taste is what sets this cake apart.
1 comment:
Dear Corinne,
My D. and I made this cake for D.'s father's birthday dinner last night and served it with simple whipped cream. Instead of Guinness, we used Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout, an extra strong local Mendocino brew (http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-rasputin.htm).
We experienced some structural difficulties. It overflowed its pan during baking, and there was some sticking and fragmenting upon inversion. But, my God, was it yummy. And fluffy.
Some have insinuated that I mismeasured the baking powder (which is very likely, actually). We also wondered if a 9% alcohol beer might have an activating effect on the powder. However my pet theory is that the cake pan we used (9" round, but only 1" high) was too damn shallow.
Despite the unlovely results, it was delicious and very well received, and therefore I'm considering it a success with room for improvement... and therefore a reason to try again soon.
Love,
Liz
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