Ahhh chocolate cake. There are not too many people on earth that perk right up when chocolate cake is mentioned. I know I always do…
There are some really interesting variations on chocolate cake recipes, but one of my favorite twists on this classic is adding beer… a good stout beer to be specific.
A good stout is a little sweet with notes of roasted coffee, caramel and of course, chocolate. It is the perfect add in to chocolate cake and will not only impart beautiful flavors, but also helps to keep the cake tender and moist.
Let’s get started…
Let’s start by discussing the star of the show. Guinness is arguably the most recognizable stout on the mark and while it will work great in this recipe, it is definitely not the only option. I would highly recommend checking out the beer selection in your local markets. Any stout or even malt beer can work in this cake.
Pour a 14 ounce bottle of the beer of your choice into a saucepan and place it over medium high heat. Bring the beer to a simmer and keep it simmering until the beer has reduced to 1/2 cup in volume. This will help to both intensify the flavors and simmer out the water that can make your cake batter too loose.
While the beer is reducing, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour with 1/2 cup of dark dutch cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 3/4 cup of vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of the reduced stout beer. Whisk until everything is fully combined.
Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is just combined. As with most batters, avoid over mixing. I just like to mix until I no longer see any dry bits of flour.
This cake can be baked in any 8 cup volume baking dish, such as a 9″ round cake pan, an 8″x8″ square baking dish or a small cast iron skillet like this one.
Prep your baking dish by greasing and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Transfer the cake batter into the baking dish and bake for 34-36 minutes in a 350 degree oven. As soon as a toothpick will come out of the center of the cake clean, pull it out of the oven and let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before transferring it out of the pan and onto a cooling rack.
I absolutely love how dark the dark dutch cocoa powder makes this cake. Its beautiful!
Once the cake is transferred onto a cooling rack, whip up your frosting by creaming 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until creamy. Add 2-3 cups of confectioners sugar slowly until the frosting reaches your desired consistently and level of sweetness.
As soon as your cake has cooled fully, add your chocolate frosting and cut yourself a slice…
This cake is amazing and don’t worry, if you are not a beer person, it doesn’t actually taste like beer. The beer helps to intensify the chocolate flavor and add notes of caramelly coffee goodness.
Coffee and chocolate are a wonderful duo and once you add beer to your chocolate cake, they make become your new favorite pairing.
This chocolate stout cake is simply fabulous. It’s the perfect cake to bake for a friend who loves beer or to celebrate St Patty’s Day or maybe for your dad on Fathers Day.
You can also just bake it for yourself… you definitely deserve this chocolate stout cake.
Chocolate Stout Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Stout Cake
- 14 ounces of stout beer (like Duck-Rabbit or Guinness)
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of dark dutch cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla frosting
Chocolate Frosting
- 8 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups of confectioners sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons of heavy cream
- a pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9” round cake pan
- Add a 14 ounce stout beer into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat
- Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the beer is reduced to 1/2 cup in volume
- While the beer is reducing, whisk 1 cup of all purpose flour with 1/2 cup of dark dutch cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl
- In a separate bowl, whisk 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 3/4 cup of vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of reduced stout beer until fully combined
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined
- Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan
- Bake the cake in a 350 degree oven for 34-36 minutes or until a toothpick will come out of the center clean
- Transfer the cake pan onto a cooling rack and let the cake cool for 10 minutes before transferring the cake out of the pan and directly onto the cooling rack
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting by whipping 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter with 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Slowly add 2-3 cups of confectioners sugar until you have the sweetness and consistency you want. Add additional heavy cream to thin, if necessary
- Once the cake has cooled fully, add the frosting and enjoy!
