Guinness Chocolate Cake

5 from 6 votes

This easy Guinness chocolate cake recipe makes a rich, fudgy, moist chocolate cake. A light, silky cream cheese frosting balances the richness of the cake creating a perfect dessert.

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Cooling Time1

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Keyword: chocolate beer batter, chocolate cake, chocolate cake with beer, cream cheese frosting, guinness cake

Servings: Slices

Author: Stephanie Wise

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup Guinness extra stout
10 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup sour cream room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

For the topping:

1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
½ cup heavy cream
Chocolate shavings for topping (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the chocolate cake:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat Guinness and butter just until butter is melted. Remove from heat; whisk in cocoa powder and granulated sugar until well-combined. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Add to Guinness mixture along with flour and baking soda; whisk again until smooth. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any potential drips); place on center rack of oven.
Bake cake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the edges of the cake are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer cake to a cooling rack; cool completely. (The center of the cake may dip slightly as it cools; this is normal and the frosting will cover it up!)

Make the cream cheese topping:

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse powdered sugar a few times to remove any lumps. Add cream cheese and process until mixture is smooth. Add heavy cream; process until well-combined into a smooth, spreadable frosting.
Remove fully cooled cake from springform pan; transfer to a serving plate or cake stand. Top cake evenly with frosting so it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve immediately.
Store any leftover cake covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Yield – 1, 9-inch cake

Technique – To make chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler along the narrow end of a chocolate bar.
Storage – Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Recipe adapted ever-so-slightly from Nigella Lawson.

Nutrition