Chocolate Stout Cake
Chocolate stout cake is truly hard to top. Not only does it deliver a remarkable depth of flavor, it also boasts a delectably dense and velvety crumb. The simple addition of stout (preferably Guinness) both intensifies the chocolate and fortifies the cake with a perfect balance of malty sweetness and roasted coffee-like bitterness. This version is an adaptation of a popular recipe from the Barrington Brewery in Great Barrington, MA, courtesy of Bon Appétit magazine circa 2002. It's a bit less heavy on the sugar than the original, but still plenty sweet. (And over the years, I've also adopted the habit of halving the recipe and baking it in a bundt pan, thanks to an excellent suggestion previously posted by Deb Perelman over at Smitten Kitchen.) This cake is delightfully rich, incredibly easy to prepare, and thoroughly unforgettable...almost like finding a secret pot of gold.
Servings 10 servings
Equipment
- bundt pan (10 or 12 cup capacity)
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter plus a bit more for greasing the pan, softened
- 1 cup stout (preferably Guinness)
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sour cream
Ganache Glaze
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Instructions
Prepare the Cake
- Heat oven to 350℉. Grease the bundt pan with a generous coat of softened butter.
- In a small heavy saucepan, bring the stout and the butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream together using an electric mixer.
- Add the slightly cooled stout and chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Then beat just until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed, or until almost combined. Using a silicone spatula, then fold the batter just until completely combined and no trace of flour remains.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Transfer the cake to a rack and allow it to cool completely in the pan.
Prepare the Ganache and Glaze the Cake
- Combine the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and espresso powder in a small heavy saucepan. Place over very low heat and whisk constantly until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool just briefly before glazing the cake.
- Turn the cooled cake out onto a serving platter. Then spoon the warm ganache over the top and spread evenly to glaze.