Layer cakes have always been my nemesis. But somehow I’m drawn to make over the top, decadent, rich layer cakes, always testing my baking abilities. Nobody cares if I can make great cakes and I’ve often been the butt of many jokes … “this cake is so dry it won’t even burn in a campfire.” Seriously, they were right. I always over-bake my layer cakes, or they fall apart, or they’re as dense as my front door. So … are you wondering if this cake is over-baked, dry, dense and tasteless? Thank goodness it is not. It’s actually pretty fantastic! Yes it is a dense(er) cake but in a good way. Maybe it’s the beer – I just seem to bake better with beer. Finally, maybe, my days as only a “pie girl” are gone … we’ll see. This is a good start – woohoo!
I was thrilled with the Guinness Chocolate Bundt Cake made last Spring for St. Patrick’s Day so when I came across a recipe for Chocolate Stout Cake, I was hooked. After great amounts of research and investigation, I settled on a recipe posted on King Arthur Flour’s website. This recipe makes a towering, three layer 8″ round cake. It feeds a lot so be sure you have friends, lots and lots of friends. My husband was wondering why I was making a cake and I reminded him I had a birthday last month, and one of my brothers had a birthday the other day, and our son’s birthday is next month … so why not!
We love the combination of the stout beer and chocolate, they make a wonderful pair in this impressive cake. The dark chocolate buttercream frosting is also a star and a prefect compliment to the not-too-sweet layers. It’s somebody’s birthday somewhere, so celebrate with cake!
- 2 cups stout beer (I used Guinness Extra Stout)
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans, then line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper cut in a circle to fit. Set aside.
- Add the beer and butter to a large, heavy bottom saucepan. Warm on medium until the butter melts then remove from the heat and gently whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk until blended and set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl beat together the eggs and sour cream.
- Gently add the cocoa mixture and blend on low until combined.
- Add the flour mixture on low speed, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix on medium for 1 minutes.
- Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans. If you have a kitchen scale, each one should weigh a little over 2 pounds. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean, or at least not wet. Crumbs are okay. Do not over-bake.
- Cool the layers on a rack for ten minutes, then remove the cake from the pans and continuing cooling on the wire rack until no longer warm.
- Frost as desired and store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
- 4 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 4 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate natural cocoa powder, not dutch chocolate
- 1 tablespoon strong coffee
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add the chopped chocolate to the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool, but still pourable.
- While the chocolate is melting, combine the coffee, water and cocoa in a small saucepan. Heat on low and whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Add the butter and 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the cooled, melted chocolate, vanilla and salt. Blend on medium until smooth. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated. Gradually add the remaining 3 cups of confectioners' sugar, blending until smooth.
- Frost cake or cupcakes as desired
Adapted from a recipe published in Bon Appetit Magazine
I hope you have a wonderful week – Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
what a fab cake
Thank you Rebecca – and thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful week.
What an incredible cake! Those layers and swirls of buttercream are perfection!
Thank you so much Laura – that’s a real compliment coming from you. Love your blog and so happy to hear from you! Have a great weekend.
This cake is the definition of perfection, to a T- I don’t know how you do it, I do NOT have a steady hand, or the patience, AT ALL!
Well this cake just made my heart go pitter-patter! First of all, getting that slice of cake to stay standing on that little plate was a feat of engineering in itself 🙂 Bravo! Seriously, it looks so delicious, moist and wonderful, Tricia! Wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much Susan! A girl needs a slice of chocolate cake sometimes 🙂
Please tell me no one REALLY made the campfire comment to you?! That’s tragic! This cake looks like just the ticket. Nothing like a classic chocolate cake!
It is true Toni – I made cake for my husbands birthday before we were married. It was very dry and I kept trying to get rid of it. We look the leftovers camping and he finally admitted he could not eat any more. I agreed so we tossed it in the campfire. It burned like a dura-flame log for hours! We still laugh about that 30 years later 🙂 I haven’t made a dura-flame cake in a long time but the memory sticks with me!
Jeez, Tricia! No one needs an excuse to make a cake! This looks over the top incredible! I want a slice now. Manservant’s birthday is in two weeks. I can’t wait to bake him a cake. He’d love this with a cigar!
Chocolate stout cake and a cigar – that sounds like a manly birthday! Thanks so much Abbe 🙂
That cake does look fantastic! The frosting sounds awesome, with all that real chocolate in there 😀 Gorgeous photos too!!
Thank you so much June! Hope you had a wonderful summer 🙂
Tricia, gorgeous photos and a scrumptious cake. My husband would love this one. Have a great week.
Thanks Gerlinde – the stout really gives it a great flavor without tasting like beer. Yummy! Hope you have a great week too.
Be still my heart! This chocolate cake is a treat to see this Monday morning! It looks beautiful and I really wish I could dig right into it. I’ve never had chocolate stout cake before. : ) I really can’t imagine you having problems with layer cakes though. I’m sure that if you wanted to, you’d become the layer cake queen! : ) This is fabulous, Tricia. Have a great week!
You always make me smile Monica! Thank you so much for the confidence and encouragement – but it is true … cakes give me a hard time! Have a wonderful week.
Tricia, this cake is absolutely gorgeous. I’m wondering if the ones who gave you a hard time about your cakes might have been pulling your leg. They probably said negative things so that they could have more 🙂 I love how tall and moist this looks!
Thanks Chris – you make beautiful cakes so I truly appreciate your “thumbs up!” My taste testers are an honest bunch – and they have been right about my layer cakes – not the best and not blog worthy. But they loved this one! Hope you have a wonderful week!
Absolutely beautiful! I have made cakes with stout before and have always been so impressed with how moist they are. This sounds wonderful 🙂
Thanks Jennifer – it is a very good cake. I just love the way the stout gives it a less sweet interesting layer. The cake is light but with a tight crumb – very interesting! Hope you have a wonderful week.
This chocolate cake looks like it is a mile high! There is a local bakery known for their very tall layer cakes but it has always been my view that their cakes look much better than they taste. You have inspired me to work on perfecting my own tall cake. Love the addition of stout in this cake, it must add a very interesting flavor component!
Woohoo! Can’t wait to see what you bake up Cali – I love a good kitchen challenge 🙂 Have a lovely week!
wow..and again wow…that’s a masterpiece, Tricia. The texture of the cake is unbelievably smooth and light…and perfect job on frosting too.
Thank you Angie 🙂 The cake is light but with a tight crumb – hard to describe other than to say – it is yummy!
You have trouble with layer cakes and you show this photo? You say that when you make a cake that looks so-so but this chocolate stout cake is gorgeous!! I want a piece right now.
Thanks Maureen – I was pleased to finally have a cake that didn’t embarrass me! The stout is an amazing addition to chocolate cake – highly recommended 🙂
I had to check back in your archives to be sure I was remembering correctly, BUT, Tricia, you weren’t just a “pie girl”. You are a pie QUEEN. A year+ of baking a different luscious pie each week certifies you as a pie expert. Understandable then, that you hadn’t had time to perfect your cake baking skills. 🙂 However, this cake is a definite turning point. Its gorgeous and looks delicious! Best of all this post comes with a philosopy, “It’s somebody’s birthday somewhere, so celebrate with cake!” , that I plan to embrace (if I can keep my layer cakes from sliding into leaning towers)!
Wendy – you are so funny – thanks for the lovely comment! I do love a good philosophy! Hope you have a great week 🙂
Wow, Tricia, the cake looks fantastic, moist and delicious.
As I’m a confessed chocoholic, this is a must try!
It will completely satisfy your chocolate craving Daniela – just be sure to have plenty of friends to share it with. Have a wonderful week!
Your cake looks lovely. And you could have fooled me with your struggles – I always think you’re an expert at everything!
Haha Beth – not so! I am just stubborn 🙂 Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!
Such beautiful photos Tricia..I love the layout of your blog..the size of the photos..
ok…everything:)
Is it WordPress? Whatever it is you have done a great job.
I like a challenge in the kitchen too.
You’ve done excellently w/ this one;)
Jacques loves his beer..and a Guiness is alawys a good choice..
Sounds funny that I say that..
he likes his beer..like he likes a nice wine..hard to describe..:)
Haha Monique – he sounds like a very smart man 🙂 It is WordPress but a custom design by Emily White. Her contact is at the bottom of my page if you are interested. She does great work and I highly recommend her. She does have a waiting list however – so a redesign or logo, etc may be a few months. Thanks!
Holy chocolate cake! That looks scrumptious! That frosting literally looks mouth watering. Gorgeous!
Thank you Sherri – and so glad you visited! Have a great week 🙂
Oh Tricia! I think there is nothing better than a chocolate cake for dessert, and this looks like the ultimate chocolate cake! I can’t believe how much stout is in the recipe, it sounds like a man’s man of a dessert, too 🙂
It is an ultimate cake for certain Sue! These are three very thick layers so the stout is spread out – at least that’s what I’m telling myself!