Happy St Patty's Day - Chocolate Guinness Cake

Chocolate Guinness Cake

I was reading the NY Times' "The Moment" and came across this article:

http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/now-contemplating-irish-desserts/. It seems that every bakery and grocery store takes this holiday as an opportunity to dye anything green. However, this does not a traditional Irish dessert make.

A little research reveals that traditional irish desserts revolve around fresh and dried fruits, cream, and chocolate. Apple cake is especially popular. While the addition of guinness to cakes is probably more of an Irish-American tradition, it does mimick the use of whiskey often used in chocolate cakes.

Melting the butter, Guinness, cocoa, and sugar.

I had seen a recipe last year for chocolate guinness cake from Nigella Lawson. Her recipe is cute in that not only does it use Guinness stout, but the frosting of the round chocolate cake mimicks a frosty pint!

I tweaked the recipe slightly:

Chocolate Guinness Cake

1 c Guinness stout

10 tbsp butter (JAM Note: only used 8 tbsp)

3/4 c unsweetened cocoa

2 c sugar, superfine if possible

3/4 c sour cream (JAM Note: Used a cup of nonfat yogurt to compensate for lack of extra butter)

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour (JAM Note: Used white whole wheat flour)

2 1/2 tsp baking soda (JAM Note: Used 2 tsp)

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a circular 9" pan, and line with buttered parchment paper. In a saucepan combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat, until butter melts. Remove from heat and add cocoa and sugar, whisk to blend.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, whisk until smooth. Pour into buttered pan and bake until firm about 45 minutes. Place on rack to cool.

For frosting, place sugar in food processor and blend until fine. Add cream cheese and mix until smooth. Add cream until smooth and spreadable. Ice top of cake so that it resembles frothy pint of Guinness.

HAPPY ST PATTY'S DAY!