Irish Whiskey and Stout Chocolate Cake
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
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 686kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 686kcal, Carbohydrates: 89g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 496mg, Potassium: 326mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 65g, Vitamin A: 886IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 230mg, Iron: 3mg