Chocolate Guinness Cake

A rich, dark and surprisingly damp chocolate cake. The Guinness gives it a deep, malty backnote rather than a beery flavour, and the pale cream cheese topping is meant to look like the frothy head on a pint of stout.

Source: Nigella Lawson

• Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (Prep 15 mins | Cook 45–60 mins)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 250 ml Guinness
• 250 g unsalted butter
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 400 g caster sugar
• 150 ml sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 275 g plain flour
• 2½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the Topping

• 300 g cream cheese
• 150 g icing sugar
• 125 ml double cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C fan. Butter250 g unsalted butter and line a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment.
2. Pour the Guinness250 ml Guinness into a large, wide saucepan. Add the butter250 g unsalted butter in slices and heat gently until the butter250 g unsalted butter has melted.
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the sour cream150 ml sour cream with the eggs2 large eggs and vanilla, then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and whisk to combine.
5. Whisk in the flour275 g plain flour and bicarbonate of soda2½ tsp bicarbonate of soda until you have a smooth, glossy batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack — it is quite a damp cake, so don’t try to turn it out too soon.

For the Topping

1. Lightly whip the cream cheese300 g cream cheese until smooth.
2. Sieve over the icing sugar150 g icing sugar and beat to combine.
3. Add the double cream125 ml double cream and beat again until you have a spreadable, frosting-like consistency.
4. Once the cake is completely cool, sit it on a plate or stand and ice the top only, so it resembles the frothy head on a pint of Guinness250 ml Guinness.

Storage

Keep iced cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; bring back to room temperature before serving so the crumb is at its best.