Guinness Chocolate Cake

I have yet to try this recipe yet, but it is next on my short list! Beer and chocolate may seem like an odd combo, but this isn't just any beer, it's Guinness stout—from roasted barley—adding smoky notes to complement chocolate perfectly.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup Guinness (or other stout)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted Butter
• ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa powder
• 2¼ cups all-purpose Flour (King Arthur, preferred)
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1½ tsp Baking Soda (preferably less than 6 mos. old)
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 2 large Eggs
• 2/3 cup Sour Cream

Icing

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
• ½ cup Heavy Cream
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, place a round of parchment paper on the bottom and butter it, then flour the pan.

Cake

1. Place the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth.
3. Thoroughly combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
4. In another bowl, beat together eggs and sour cream until well-blended.
5. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed.
6. Finish mixing by folding batter with a spatula until completely combined.
7. Pour batter in the springform pan and bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
8. Place cake on a rack and cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and cool completely.

Icing

1. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar.
2. Add cream and vanilla and mix.
3. Spread icing on top of cake to echo the appearance of a glass of Guinness and its head of foam.

Recipe and photo courtesy of NPR