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Chocolate Guinness Cake

Name: Chocolate Guinness Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12 servings.
Ingredients: 1 cup Guinness (dark beer); 1/2 cup butter, cubed; 2 cups sugar; 3/4 cup baking cocoa; 2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten; 2/3 cup sour cream; 3 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda; TOPPING:; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened; 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

136 reviews

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 45 min. + cooling

Makes

12 servings

Updated: Mar. 17, 2023

One bite and everyone will propose a toast to this silky-smooth chocolate Guinness cake. The cream cheese frosting reminds me of the foamy head on a perfectly poured pint. —Marjorie Hennig, Seymour, Indiana

Chocolate Guinness Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Ingredients

1 cup Guinness (dark beer)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten
2/3 cup sour cream
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
TOPPING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-in. springform pan and line the bottom with parchment; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat beer and butter until butter is melted. Remove from the heat; whisk in sugar and cocoa until blended. Combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla; whisk into beer mixture. Combine flour and baking soda; whisk into beer mixture until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove cake from the pan and place on a platter or cake stand.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and cream; beat until smooth (do not overbeat). Frost top of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Chocolate Guinness Cake Tips

What kind of baking cocoa should you use in chocolate Guinness cake?

Baking cocoa is chocolate or cocoa powder that you can bake with—simple as that! When a recipe doesn't get more specific than "baking cocoa," you should use regular cocoa powder, not Dutch-processed cocoa, because it interacts with leavening ingredients differently. If you need to stock up on cocoa powder for this chocolate Guinness cake, check out our Test Kitchen's picks for the best cocoa powder. Here's more about the different types of chocolate for baking.

What do you serve with chocolate Guinness cake?

Since this chocolate Guinness cake recipe only calls for 1 cup of Guinness, you'll likely have leftover beer. Serve it with the cake! If you end up having extra cans or bottles on hand, put them to use in Guinness floats, skillet stout brownies or one of our other Guinness recipes.

How do you store chocolate Guinness cake?

The chocolate Guinness cake should be stored in the refrigerator because it has cream cheese in the frosting. Use a cake dome to keep the frosting neat. When you're ready to serve, take it out of the fridge up to 2 hours in advance to let it reach room temperature. If you're storing leftovers after the cake is cut, press plastic wrap onto the exposed cake to keep it moist.

—Lauren Pahmeier, Taste of Home Associate Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 494 calories, 22g fat (13g saturated fat), 99mg cholesterol, 288mg sodium, 69g carbohydrate (49g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.