What better way to welcome in the arrival of spring than with a piece of cake! More specifically, with a piece of this sinfully delicious Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. Just in case you didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a bottle or two of Guinness Stout, you can now 'have your Guinness and eat it too!'. If anyone asked me to choose between an ice cold bottle of Guinness and this cake, I would more than likely take the cake. Because in a way I wouldn't be choosing at all.
Technically there are eleven chocolate cake recipes posted to the blog. So the recipe for this Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing now makes it an even dozen. Even without having the other eleven cakes in front of me, I am going to say this one may rank up there as one of the fudgiest, moistest, densest, richest chocolate cakes ever to come out of my kitchen. At the moment, it's my current favorite. And not just because it's made with Guinness or topped with the most ethereal cream cheese icing. It is seriously a really, really great, borderline best ever, chocolate cake.
This humble Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is dinner party, birthday party, even wedding cake worthy. But it doesn't need to be made only for a special occasion as it's a perfect every day cake as well. Because if we have learned anything in the last 371 days, it's that we need more cake.
In addition to being made with chocolate and Guinness, what is not to love about a cake essentially made using a whisk and a saucepan? One might never expect a cake made in a saucepan to have such a depth of flavor or more perfect texture. Quite possibly the cake's simplicity is responsible.
For those of you who don't particularly enjoy drinking beer, ale, or even a stout, you might put this Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing in the 'not for me' category. If only I didn't have to tell you it was made with Guinness. Because I am certain if you are open to possibility and/or take just one taste of this divinely delicious cake, you will start looking at stout very differently.
As you will see in the recipe below, the cake batter comes together in a saucepan. Yes, a saucepan! After the Guinness and butter are heated until the butter has melted, the pan is removed from the heat. First to be added to the Guinness/butter mixture is the granulated sugar and Dutch-processed cocoa, followed by the mixture of the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. And lastly, the flour, baking soda and Kosher salt are whisked in. The consistency of the batter will be on the thin side.
After pouring the batter into a prepared nine inch cake pan, the cake bakes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 45-50 minutes or until done (it should spring back when lightly pressed). While the cake is baking make the cream cheese icing.
The addition of a small amount of heavy whipping cream is what contributes to the icing's creaminess. The cream gets whipped into icing after the cream cheese, confectionary sugar, and vanilla and have been well blended. You might initially think the addition of the heavy whipping cream will make for a 'soupy' icing. However, whipping the cream into cream cheese/sugar mixture until it is light and fluffy actually helps to an incredibly light, fluffy, creamy icing. Giving the icing some time to chill in the refrigerator (about 30 minutes) before icing the cake helps to further set it up.
While the icing chills in the refrigerator, let the cake come to room temperature.
For some reason this simple cake called for the luscious cream cheese icing to be simply swirled on top.
The cream cheese icing is the perfect compliment to this deeply flavored, dense, rich chocolate cake. I am not certain I would top the cake with any other icing. Why mess with perfection?
If there was ever a cake to satisfy a craving for something sweet or to celebrate the arrival of spring, this swoonworthy Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing would be all that and then some.
Recipe
Chocolate Guinness Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Makes one 9" round single layer cake
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
Chocolate Guinness Cake
10 Tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter, if possible, use a European style butter
1 cup (8 ounces) Guinness Stout (
3/4 cup (80g) Dutch-processed cocoa
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180g) sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Cream Cheese Icing
1 7/8 cups (234g) confectionary sugar
12 ounces (339g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Chocolate Guinness Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter and line a 9" round cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium-large sized saucepan, add in the Guinness and unsalted butter. Over medium heat, whisk occasionally until the butter melts.
3. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Whisk in the sugar and Dutch-processed cocoa.
5. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
6. Add to the Guinness/butter mixture. Whisk to incorporate.
7. Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda and Kosher salt. Whisk until fully blended.
8. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
9. Place the pan on a large baking sheet and then place in the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is firm (and springs back when lightly touched). Place cake pan on a cooling rack.
10. Allow cake to rest in pan for at least 20-30 minutes before unmolding onto a platter. Let the cake cool completely before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing and Finishing
1. In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy using a hand mixer.
2. Add in the confectionary sugar and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
3. Pour in the heavy whipping cream and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Place bowl of icing in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before using.
5. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop icing onto the top of the cake.
6. Use an offset spatula to spread icing evenly on top of the cake (do not ice the sides of the cake).
7. Cut into slices and serve.
8. Store any leftover cake covered in the refrigerator.
View of the iconic Marina Towers along the dyed green Chicago River, March 2021