May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn’t live a day without you.
Cheers!
The Irish… surely know their toasts…
Guinness Chocolate Cake
They also know their food photography.
I don’t drink nor like anything alcohol, but was inexplicably drawn to this recipe from Katie Quinn Davies on her blog What Katie Ate. Had it not been for the stunning picture of THAT chocolate cake , I would have never given this recipe a second thought. But it looked so interesting… Guinness AND chocolate?!? Could it be the only way I could ever enjoy a drink was if it was mixed with chocolate? Apparently so. Here is what Katie had to say about the recipe.
I chose this cake as I’m a mad keen baker but even more so because I love the strange reaction from people when they hear its name. They always ask “Chocolate and Guinness?? In a cake?! You’re kidding?!” Also, it’s nice to introduce a bit of quintessential “Irish-ness” or “Oirish-ness” from my homeland into my cooking especially to my Aussie mates for a laugh, so I often make this cake when I’m going to a BBQ or dinner party if asked to bring a dessert as it’s quite the norm to “bring a plate” here in Oz. To most people, and still myself even after 30 years of living in Ireland, Guinness is an acquired taste. I honestly find it too bitter for my palette to drink alone. So when I initially made this cake a good few years ago, I was super surprised to find there is no lingering taste from “the black stuff” whatsoever and I was totally bowled over by the incredible moistness of the cake. Honestly I really think it’s one of the best chocolate cake recipes out there. It is heavy, so I would never be tempted to add anything to the middle of the cake or layer it and add frosting inside. The essence with this cake is to keep it simple and don’t complicate it, enjoy its subtlety.
And yes, the Irish certainly know their chocolate cake.
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Guinness Chocolate Cake
- 250 grams unsalted butter
- 250 ml Guinness
- 75 grams Dutch process cocoa
- 275 grams flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 400 grams sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 150 ml sour cream
- 1 vanilla bean, scrapped
Frosting
- 300 grams cream cheese
- 150 grams icing sugar, sifted
- 150 ml cream, whipped
- Pre-heat oven to 180 c (fan forced). Add the butter, cocoa and Guinness to a saucepan. Warm over a medium heat and stir until melted. Set aside for around 5 to 10 minutes to cool.
- Mix the flour, baking soda and sugar in a mixing bowl and pour in the Guinness mixture, lightly combine. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla beans and beat everything until well combined. The batter should be thick and dark in chocolate color.
- Pour into a greased 22 cm by 9 cm angel food pan (I used 12 cupcake containers and 4 mini cake pans) and bake in the oven for about an hour. You need to be diligent in checking the cake. According to Katie the cake is very moist inside so you need to use your judgement regarding the skewer test. Do not leave in the oven until the cake has totally dried out – just cook long enough so there is no uncooked cake on the skewer but there may be some moist crumbs sticking to it. With smaller containers like mine the cupcakes were done in 15 min while the mini pans were done in 20.
- Leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the cake tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat on low-medium using a whisk attachment. Whisk until the cheese is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and beat gently to combine. After 2 to 3 minutes, stop the machine, scrape any excess frosting from the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed until lump free. Remove from the mixer and fold in the whipped cream.
- Place the cake on a cake stand and add the frosting, spreading out just to the edge without going over the side until the cake resembles a pair of creamy black stuff! (Katie’s words – not mine!)
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Guinness Chocolate Cake on the Thermomix
- Place the butter, Guinness and cocoa in the TM bowl and heat for 3 minutes at 80c on speed 3 to melt. Allow to cool for around 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and sugar and mix on speed 5 for 10 seconds.
- Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla beans and mix on speed 6 for 20 seconds until very well combined.
- Pour into pans (see above) and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c (fan forced) until done.
Frosting
- Insert the butterfly. Place the cream in the TM bowl and beat on speed 4 around 30 seconds. (Check every 15 seconds – you want the cream to be semi-stiff peaks, not butter!
- Remove the cream from the TM bowl and place in a regular bowl. Now add the cream cheese and icing sugar (without the butterfly attachment) and mix on speed 7 for 10 seconds until very smooth.
- Fold the cream cheese/icing sugar mixture on to the whipped cream.
Trissalicious 
i watched the movie ‘leap year’ yesterday (a dreamy matthew goode, and the always sweet amy adams!) and this toast was used in a scene!!!
Yes my husband told me the same thing! I saw the phrase on the internet. 🙂
Guinness and chocolate is gorgeous in a cake. And topped with fluffy creamcheese frosting? Must be heaven 🙂
Being married in to an Irish family. (My mother still has problems understanding my mother in law when they have had a few to drink). I am going to have to try this one out. Have made many a Guiness stew and pie, but nothing ever sweet.
Lovely recipe and a great read! Beautiful clicks.
love this cake and the touch of guinness (and genius) in it hehe …
What a yummy cake!
Going to save the recipe for St. Pat’s Day! Love that cream cheese frosting piled on top!
Ireland is one of my favorite places in the world. Have been lucky enough to visit close friends several times and I’ve always been treated like family. I’m with you, Guinness is an acquired taste. In fact, I always opt for the Bulmer’s. In this cake, though, I know I’d really like it and so would my Irish friends here in California.
That looks great. My friend made an ice cream using guinness and it was wonderful. I could imagine how this one is.
I immediately bookmarked Katie’s cake recipe, too! It looked great when she made and and again, here. Thanks for confirming the deliciousness of the cake. I, too, like few alcoholic drinks except some of the really “girly” sweet ones like mojito.
What an interesting recipe Trissa. It looks delicious!
Love this recipe too! Try it with peanut butter frosting, YUM!
this looks dark and delicious! yum!
I love the toast! I saw this cake on Katie’s blog and thought it looked delicious too. Must try it one day.
I love this cake! I’ve made Nigella’s and it was incredibly moist and completely delicious. Great you have adapted for thermomix, a gadget which is still a dream for me 🙂
Yes this cake was very rich and moist as well!
Nice save! Cream cheese frosting will fix anything!
Looks delicious! I shall have to try since my partner loves chocolate cakes. Do you ever have it just warm with some cream? Or is the frosting integral to the dessert?
This is the first time I’ve made it but warm with cream sounds fantastic – definitely next time I’ll try it this way.
Oh Trissa, I officially LOVE you!
I am Irish-born and I love chocolate, so I’m totally in love with this cake. I love Guinness in fruit cake – it is INCREDIBLE!
Love this recipe, loved Katies post on this, what a fabulous photographer she is, and Oh My…. this cake is to die for, I’m not surprised it caught your eye Trissa.
Hello! congratulations! the wonderful blog .. your recipes are excelentes.sua fan of Brazil!
Caroliny!
Looks very delicious… yummi!
A REAL chocolate cake! I have never used dark beer to make chocolate cake before…definitely would love to try!
Didn’t know you can use Thermomix to make cake. How very interesting!
I thought you were Filipino! I am Irish, too…. well, 1/2! But have no sense of Irishness whatsoever as my dad’s family moved here in the 1920’s and the dirty 30’s must have wiped all culture from them.??? They were hard working farm people, but there isn’t an accent, a meal, a celebration or anything that my dad can remember that is Irish – so I am always thrilled to find something Irish.
I will definitely make this. Is it normal for the cake to dip like that, or was it out of the oven too soon? It still looks GORGEOUS…. and I trust you on one of the best ever!
🙂
Valerie
Hi Val – the cake recipe I adapted it from didn’t have that dip but she used an angel pan to bake it in. It was thoroughly cooked inside though so I think it was okay.. and it tasted great.
I am so attracted to the Irish right now…
What a beautiful proverb, and an even more beautiful cake daaaahling. Love it.
*kisses* HH
WOW! Guinness in a chocolate cake. Does it get any better? I like the sepia-ish light in your photos.
That has got to be the blackest, densest chocolate cake I’ve ever seen! No doubt beautiful with the tangy light cream cheese frosting =)
Wow, this is the second Guiness choc cake I’ve seen today. It’s a sign. My dad loves his guinness (he’s definitely not irish), adn he loves chocolate too, next time I see him, I’m making this! Thanks for the inspiration.
Oh yum… Looks absolutely divine
Very original recipe. Guiness and chocolate?? I haven’t tried the combination and I’m very curious to do so. The chocolate looks so dark, I love it!
Magda
Did you use pre set for these photographs? They are stunning!! I heard about this cake and not yet tried making it! Now I must make it soon. You are tempting me with thermomix….