Chocolate Guinness Cake

I have always wanted to make this cake. Not just for St. Patrick's Day because it's gorgeous darkness allured me and the dolloped cream cheese icing mimicking froth and foam captivated me. The stout flavour is subtle although the cake itself offers a moist tanginess, that is very pleasing with or without icing. 

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake

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Makes: about 12 slices

FOR THE CAKE:

1 cup of Guinness

17 tablespoons unsalted butter 

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups superfine sugar

2/3 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

FOR THE TOPPING:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180ºC/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm/ 9inch springform tin. 

2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, berry pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. 

Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the confectioners' sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsaved confectioners' sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

5. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint. 

Notes: I added a bit of grated lemon rind to the cream cheese topping and then scattered edible rose petals on top.  

To read the metric measurements, tips and more about Nigella Lawson click *here* 

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow so I will wish you a happy one! Happy St. Patrick's Day and hope everyone has a great weekend! - JD