CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE...

So I thought I would start off the week with something sweet that has a little stout in it. How's that for a Monday?? That might sound strange, but I PROMISE it's so good... You guys know I love chocolate, so I'm always on the hunt for a new chocolate-y recipe to try. This is one of Nigella Lawson's delicious, unfussy, super easy cakes that has the most intense chocolate flavor and is so moist (I know so many people hate that word, but it's the perfect word for this cake. Sorry... ). Guinness has a supporting role in this cake, yet a very important role. The stout itself has a bitter-ish flavor that pairs surprisingly well with the chocolate. You can't necessarily taste the stout itself in the cake, and the cake is definitely not bitter, but you can tell that something special is there... If you want to make a special homemade birthday cake for someone or want to impress your dinner guests with something that tastes like it took you all day to make, hook them up with this cake. They'll love ya... :)

Here is what you need and what to do:

Cake

Room temperature butter for the pan
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1 stick + 2 tablespoons)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Frosting

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream


To make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a large pot set over medium-low heat, combine the Guinness and the butter. Melt the butter then remove the post from the heat. Then add whisk in the cocoa and the sugar until smooth. Set pot aside to cool.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add that mixture to the Guinness mixture and whisk. Add the flour in three batches and whisk until each batch is incorporated. Add in the baking soda and give it one more good whisk.

4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a cake tester (i.e. a toothpick) inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

5. Let the cake cool for an hour and then release it from the pan.

To make the frosting:

1. Add the confectioners' sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Mix it up for a few seconds to break up the lumps. Then add the cream cheese and blend until smooth.

2. Add the heavy cream and blend it again until smooth.

3. Generously ice just the top of the cake.

Enjoy!

Images by me