The Perfect Chocolate Guinness Cake

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: A simple, yet incredible, chocolate cake recipe made with Guinness for an Irish twist. It’s as easy as mixing your dry ingredients with your wet and incorporating that lovely dark beer from my home.

I love this chocolate Guinness cake recipe because of how bold it is! The cake is incredibly moist and dense, and it has a deep chocolate flavor. But the (not so secret, it is in the title, after all) secret ingredient enhances the cake’s flavor. The Guinness’s bitterness perfectly balances out the sweetness of the sugar!

To be honest, I’m not even a fan of Guinness beer. (Is that against the law for an Irish woman to say?) But you can’t taste the stout at all in the cake, but you can tell there is something different about the flavor of this chocolate cake.

I like to compliment this dense pound cake-like texture and dark, bittersweet chocolate flavor with a chocolate glaze that is silky and sweet. Traditionally, this cake is topped with my Best-Ever Chocolate Fudge Frosting, and that is just as delicious! 

What Is Chocolate Guinness Cake?

Chocolate Guinness Cake is different from your typical chocolate cake because it includes Guinness beer. The famous Irish stout gets its flavors from malted and unmalted barley—if you’ve ever had a Guinness, you know it’s a pretty unique tasting beer with its certain “tang” of flavor. You’ll only need a cup of Guinness for this recipe. If you’re of legal age, taste what’s leftover and see if you can pick up on that flavor I’m talking about! 

That malty goodness and slight tang do something magical when paired with chocolate! 

What You Need To Make Chocolate Guinness Cake

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• 9-inch (23cm) springform pan
• Parchment paper
• Stand mixer or hand mixer 
• Mixing bowls
• Microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan.

How Do You Make Chocolate Guinness Cake?

If you’re looking for a dense, intensely chocolatey cake, then you have to try this one! Here is how you make chocolate Guinness Cake (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below.):

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the Guinness, melted butter, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
3. Beat in the sour cream, then the eggs and vanilla extract until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the flour mixture into the Guinness mixer until it is evenly mixed. 
5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the middle of the cake. It is ready when the skewer comes out clean. Once baked, let the cake cool completely in the pan.
6. As the cake cools, make the chocolate glaze: combine the butter, chocolate, and honey in a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan and heat it gently until the butter and chocolate melt. Stir together and let it cool until it has thickened, but it is still pourable.
7. Once the cake is cooled, transfer it to a serving plate and pour the glaze on the cake.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Chocolat Guinness Cake

• A lot of recipes ask you to pack your brown sugar. I don’t do this in my recipes. Use loosely measured brown sugar or a kitchen scale to get the correct measurement. 
• While I prefer a chocolate glaze, this cake is traditionally topped with cream cheese frosting. Check out how to make cream cheese frosting here! 
• This is a large cake, so you want to make sure your springform pan is at least 9-inches (23cm). A 10-inch (25.5cm) pan also works.
• This cake is simple, sturdy, and incredibly delicious—making it perfect and easily transportable for a picnic! 
• This cake is tall! You can split it in half and make it a layer cake. Frost with my best ever chocolate fudge frosting! 
• If you don’t have sour cream, you can use the same amount of plain yogurt.
• If you’re not a fan of drinking Guinness, it makes a lovely addition to beef stew. 

How Do I Store Chocolate Guinness Cake?

You can store any leftover chocolate Guinness cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’d like to keep it for longer, freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 

Make More Cake!

• Pound Cake With Sprinkles
• Citrus Olive Oil Cake
• Best-Ever Chocolate Cake with Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache
• Best-Ever Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Get more Irish Recipes:

• Simple White Irish Soda Bread
• Traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding
• Traditional Irish Soda Bread (Brown Bread)
• Classic Irish Apple Tart
• 5-Minute Authentic Irish Brown Bread
• Authentic Irish Apple Amber Pie
• Authentic Irish Potato Farls
• My Mum’s Authentic Irish Apple Crumble

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Want To Go Deeper?

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That’s right, inside or out of the Academy! So subscribe now!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

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Simple Marble Pound Cake

Carrot Cake Sheet Cake

My Mum's Irish Apple Cake