Skip to content
The Little Epicurean
  • About
  • Desserts & Baking
  • Ingredient Index
  • Recipe Index
facebookinstagrampinteresttiktok
  • Recipes
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Filipino
    • French
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • Mexican
  • Desserts
    • All Desserts
    • Breads & Rolls
    • Brownies, Bars, & Pastries
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes & Muffins
    • Donuts, Pancakes, & Waffles
    • Ice Cream
    • Pies & Tarts
    • Porridge & Puddings
    • Scones & Biscuits
  • Drinks
    • All Drinks
    • Cocktails
    • Coffee & Tea
    • Mocktails
    • Smoothies
  • Ingredient
    • Cheese
    • Chocolate
    • Coffee
    • Meat
    • Nuts
    • Peanut Butter
    • Pumpkin
    • Seafood
    • Vegetables
  • Occasion
    • Birthday
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Memorial Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Contact
facebookinstagrampinteresttiktok
Home ·  Recipes

Irish Whiskey and Stout Chocolate Cake

Author: Maryanne CabreraPublished: Mar 10, 2014Updated: Nov 16, 2023
View Recipe21 Reviews
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Super moist and flavorful stout chocolate cake. The layer cake is frosted with whiskey cream cheese frosting and topped with rich chocolate glaze. 

TheLittleEpicurean-irish-whiskey-stout-chocolate-cake

I’m not Irish, but I sure love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the one time during the year when all my favorite bars and cocktail lounges stock up on the best Irish whiskeys and beers!

Did you know that the color blue was originally associated with St. Patrick? Over the years, green took over and is the color that represents the holiday.

This year I didn’t want to make green doughnuts, or a green cake, or even a mint shamrock shake. Nope, this year I’m making a boozy chocolate cake!

Chocolate Stout Cake

This isn’t your average chocolate cake.  This chocolate stout cake incorporates Guinness stout beer and Jameson whiskey into various components.

Guinness helps to add depth to the chocolate cake. The chocolate cake layers are soaked with whiskey sugar syrup. And, the cream cheese frosting is spiked with Jameson whiskey.

The resulting assembled cake is beyond any other chocolate stout cake I’ve ever tried!

TheLittleEpicurean_whiskey-stout-chocolate-cake

Moist Flavorful Stout Cake

This cake is super moist! The mixture of stout beer, melted butter, and yogurt keeps this cake soft and hydrated.

Chocolate pairs wonderfully with stout. It’s no wonder why stout cake is so popular during this season!

But, the best part of this cake is the whiskey cream cheese frosting.  It not only balances the cake, the tangy flavors of the cream cheese adds such a nice burst of brightness.

Does this whiskey stout cake take like alcohol?

You get the essence and sweet flavors of whiskey without the alcohol taste.

TheLittleEpicurean-st-patricks-day-stout-chocolate-cake

Storage & Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Whiskey Stout Chocolate Cake

Irish Whiskey and Stout Chocolate Cake

5 from 2 votes
Super moist and flavorful stout chocolate cake. The layer cake is frosted with whiskey cream cheese frosting and topped with rich chocolate glaze. 
Yield: 8-inch cake
Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Ingredients

Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake:

  • 1 cup stout beer
  • 10 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt

Whiskey Simple Syrup:

  • 1 part simple syrup (1 part water+1 part sugar, boiled and cooled)
  • 1 part Irish whiskey

Whiskey Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 Tbsp Irish whiskey
  • 1 Tbsp store-bought caramel sauce (optional)

Chocolate Glaze:

  • 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large saucepot, combine beer and butter. Cook over medium heat until butter has melted. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder and sugar. Stir until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and whisk until incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
  • In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture in three additions, alternating with yogurt. Begin and end with dry mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined. 
  • Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. If desired, use a kitchen scale to ensure cake batter is even. Level off batter using a mini offset or the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes until cake is done and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5-8 minutes. Unmold cake and allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Whiskey Simple Syrup:

  • In saucepot, combine water and sugar. Bring to boil and allow sugar to dissolve. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in fridge until ready to use.
  •  Combine 2 tablespoons simple syrup and 2 tablespoons whiskey. Use this to lightly soak the cake layers during assembly.

Whiskey Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add softened butter and mix until incorporated. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
  • Add brown sugar and sifted powdered sugar. Mix on slow speed until smooth. Add whiskey and caramel and mix until incorporated.

Chocolate Glaze:

  • In a medium bowl add chopped chocolate, butter, and corn syrup.
  • Pour heavy cream in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Pour hot heavy cream over chopped chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let mixture sit undisturbed for 90 seconds.
  • Remove plastic wrap and slowly stir together contents. Chocolate with melt and mixture will look watery, but as you stir the chocolate glaze will come together. Once mixture is smooth, let sit for a couple minutes until slightly thicken and mixture is a nice pourable consistency.

Assembly:

  • Slice the cakes into two even layers. You will end up with 4 cake layers.
  • Place first cake layer on a cake stand, or plate. Use a pastry brush to lightly soak cake with whisky simple syrup. Follow with about ½ cup of whiskey cream cheese frosting. Use an offset spatula to spread frosting into an even layer.
  • Add second cake layer and repeat with syrup and frosting. Continue to build cake until you have used all the cake layers.
  • Crumb coat the exterior of cake with frosting. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to chill. Remove cake and apply another coat of frosting around the side of cake. Place cake back in the fridge until you are ready to pour chocolate glaze.
  • Remove cake from fridge. Pour slightly thicken chocolate glaze over the top of the cake. Allow the glaze to drip over the sides of the cake. Keep cake chilled until ready to serve.

Notes

  • I used Guinness stout beer. Any stout beer will work. Trader Joe’s has a chocolate stout beer that is delicious, as well! 
  • Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Let warm to room temperature before serving for best texture. 
Author: Maryanne Cabrera
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate cake, stout cake, whiskey buttercream, cream cheese buttercream, cream cheese frosting
Did you make this recipe?Show us on Instagram! Tag @littleepicurean and hashtag #littleepicurean.
whiskey-stout-chocolate-cake

In need of more St. Patrick’s Day treats?  Check out my Irish Coffee Mousse, Chocolate Glazed Whiskey Bundt Cake, and Guinness Brownies with Butterscotch Fudge.

21 Reviews
Filed in:
Layer CakesBeer · Chocolate · Fall + Winter · Spring + Summer · Sweet · Whiskey

Ask a Question! Cancel Reply

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or review below. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Reader Questions and Reviews

  1. Rochelle @ Oh So Sweet Baker says:
    March 10, 2014

    That cake looks divine. I love how the dark chocolate glaze stands out against that white. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 10, 2014

      Thanks Rochelle! :)

  2. Angie@Angie's Recipes says:
    March 11, 2014

    The cake is a stunner! Love the colour contrast…basic yet beautiful!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 11, 2014

      Thanks Angie!

  3. huntfortheverybest says:
    March 11, 2014

    omg drool…that is amazing!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 11, 2014

      lol, thanks!! :)

  4. LunaCafe says:
    March 13, 2014

    Beautiful cake! Love the whiskey/stout combo. Go Irish! :-)

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 20, 2014

      Thanks LunaCafe!

  5. Erika Steinhardt says:
    March 28, 2017

    The cake was delicious ; however there are a few tweaks you need to change to the instructions.
    Not enough product amounts for the whiskey sugar syrup–not enough for all layers.
    Unclear instructions on cake batter method
    Not enough ingredients for frosting– had to add several cups more of powdered sugar.
    Time consuming but overall end result was worth it
    Thx

    Reply
  6. SHEYL says:
    March 16, 2018

    WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER THE IRISH WHISKEY CAKE, STEP #3 SAYS TO ADD DRY INGREDIENTS AND YOGURT ALTERNATELY.

    WHAT YOGURT AND HOW MUCH????????????

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 16, 2018

      “3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt” is listed under the cake ingredients.

  7. Alexandra says:
    March 18, 2018

    Can I make this in 9in cakes pans? And if so do you know how much time/temperature to bake them at?

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 18, 2018

      Yes, you can bake this in two 9-inch cake pans. Same temperature, but reduce the baking time by 3-5 minutes.

  8. Kellie says:
    December 19, 2018

    This is, hands down, my Husband’s FAVORITE cake!!!
    Love the conbo of ingredients and the end result is always decadent!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      December 20, 2018

      That’s so wonderful to hear! Thank you for trying out the recipe! Wishing you a happy holiday season!

  9. DAVID says:
    March 15, 2019

    You mention “ one part” Irish Whiskey. How much is “one part”? Is it a tablespoon, one once, one jigger, what is the valume please?

    Reply
  10. Kelley Reynolds says:
    March 15, 2021

    5 stars
    Great cake! Very moist. Took it to a St. Patrick’s Day party. The guests were so impressed with the 4 layers!
    I read the comments as I made this cake. If you are a frosting loving or if making with 9 inch rounds, you might want to increase the frosting ingredients a titch. I followed the directions but only have 9 inch rounds. There was enough frosting, but I used every bit of what I made.

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      March 15, 2021

      Thank you for trying the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it! I will update the recipe with notes regarding 9-inch cakes.

  11. Jane Doe says:
    January 28, 2022

    Are kids able to eat this cake due to the alcohol in it or should we save this for a adults only party?

    Reply
  12. Judy o’Connor says:
    April 5, 2022

    5 stars
    I’ve made this cake twice and everyone loves it.

    Reply
    • Maryanne Cabrera says:
      April 8, 2022

      Thank you for sharing! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

Maryanne Cabrera

Meet the Author

Maryanne Cabrera is a classically trained pastry chef, baker, cake maker, and cocktail shaker.
Read more about me

You Might Also Like...

Buttercream Flowers Cake

Buttercream Flowers Cake (Chocolate Cake)

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with caramel

Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with caramel and ganache

Ginger Grapefruit Layer Cake

Ginger Grapefruit Layer Cake

Honey Earl Grey Fig Cake | the little epicurean

Honey Earl Grey Fig Cake

Find Your Next Recipe

The Little Epicurean is a Los Angeles-based recipe blog featuring from-scratch baking, decadent dessert, and unique cocktails.

Let's Get Social!
facebookinstagrampinteresttiktok
Cake

Chocolate Butter Mochi Cake

Inspired by our travels to Maui, this chocolate butter mochi cake features a chewy brownie topped with peanut butter...

Orange Blossom Bundt Cake

This alluring orange blossom bundt cake is moist and buttery. It is naturally flavored with orange zest and orange...
Breads & Rolls

Cheddar Everything Babka Buns

Soft and fluffy Cheddar Everything Babka Buns. These individually portioned muffin buns are loaded with cheddar cheese and everything...

Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls

Carrot cake cinnamon rolls frosted with whipped cream cheese and topped with toasted walnuts. It’s the iconic flavors of...
Cookies

Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies

These aren’t your average chocolate chip cookies. Brown butter rye chocolate chip cookies are nutty and spiced with touch...

White Chocolate Earl Grey Cookies

Soft and chewy Earl Grey Cookies infused with tea and studded with white chocolate chunks. They’re a sweet treat...
As Seen On Better Homes & GardensBuzzfeedHuffington postReal SimpleThe Kitchn
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
© 2023 The Little Epicurean, All Rights Reserved. Design by LH.