Guinness Chocolate Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back

Guinness Chocolate Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back keeps the shopping list focused on Dutch-processed cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate chopped fine, and espresso powder. It serves 12 Slices.

Count on 20 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cooking, about 50 minutes from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Guinness Chocolate Cake

• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• ¾ cup Guinness beer
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups light brown sugar packed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs room temperature

For the Caramel Fudge Frosting

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey
• 10 ounces dark chocolate 50%-70% cocoa solids, chopped
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
• ¼ cup unsalted butter softened and cubed
• 1 cup salted caramel sauce store bought or homemade caramel sauce

How the cooking goes

To Make the Guinness chocolate cake

1. Warm the oven to 325°. Butter or spray the inside of 2, 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line with a parchment circle on the bottom of each.
2. Blend cocoa, chocolate and espresso powder in a large mixing bowl. Bring Guinness to just barely boiling in a small saucepan. Pour hot Guinness over chocolate mixture and whisk until completely melted and smooth. Keep it to one side to cool to ambient temperature.
3. While the chocolate is cooling, combine flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small mixing bowl and whisk.
4. When chocolate is cool, whisk in the sour cream. You could also play God and cool the chocolate by adding cold sour cream, but that is your choice.
5. Whip the butter, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer or electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. The batter may seem separated and that is okay!
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the chocolate mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.
7. Divide the cake batter between prepared cake pans. Bake until a cake tester or cake tester comes out with some crumbs still attached; 30-35 minutes.
8. Allow the cakes cool 10 minutes in the pan then run a paring knife or small offset spatula around the edges and turn out on a wire rack to cool until it is no longer warm.
9. While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting.

Prepare the frosting

1. In a large heat-proof bowl, add chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt.
2. Note: Due to the total amount of heavy cream in this recipe, you recommend chopping the chocolate even if you are using chocolate pieces. The cream might cool faster than it can melt the chocolate. You had to microwave on 50% power in 10 second intervals to finish melting the chocolate in the ganache. This is not best practice!
3. In a small saucepan bring whipping cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate, shake to distribute and cover the chocolate.
4. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
5. Slowly whisk starting from the center and working your way out to create an emulsion.
6. Sieve in the cocoa powder, whisk to incorporate. You can also put it in before the cream but it has a tendency to clump and create lumps that will not come out. You risk breaking the emulsion by whisking enough to smooth them out.
7. Put butter to the still hot ganache. Switch to a silicone spatula and gently stir in one direction until all the butter has melted and incorporated into the ganache.
8. Mix in the salted caramel sauce. You used 1 cup, but you can add until the seasoning suits the pot if preferred.
9. Cover the surface with plastic and allow to cool to ambient temperature. You can speed it up by putting it in the fridge and stirring every 10 minutes. You recommend doing this if your room is warm. Mine was about 70°F, so it cooled to ambient temperature in a little under 2 hours. At 70°F the fudge frosting will hold beautiful lines.

Assemble the layer cake

1. Place one layer of cake on your favorite cake plate or cake stand. Add about 1 cup cooled frosting on the top and spread out into an even layer.
2. Put the second cooled cake layer on top. Add another cup of frosting on the top, spreading it out and allowing to extend over the edges. Using an offset or straight metal cake spatula, add a nice layer of frosting to the sides of the cake. Add additional frosting to the top and swirl as desired.
3. Serve ambient temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The cake will gradually lose moisture, so it helps to make it the day before or the same day it will be served. You can also make the cake layers, cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 month before assembling. Allow the cake to come to ambient temperature for the optimal texture.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Chocolate Cheesecake with a Soft Crumb and Apricot Brandy Pound Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back.