If you love chocolate, then you'll love this Guinness beer chocolate cake! This cake is rich, fudgy, and decadent and best of all it's easy to make in your favorite bundt pan. Topped with a drizzle of ganache, it's the perfect dessert choice for St. Patrick's Day or any special occasion.
¾cupunsweetened cocoa powderor Dutch process (European)
2cupsflourall purpose
1 ½teaspoonsbaking soda
½ teaspoonsaltonly if using unsalted butter
1 ¾cupssugar
2large eggs
¾cupsour creamor plain Greek yogurt
For chocolate ganche:
8ouncesbaking chocolateunsweetened, such Ghirardelli
1cupheavy cream
½teaspoonvanilla extractoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease or thoroughly spray (with cooking spray) a 10 cup bundt pan.
Add butter, Guinness beer and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until butter melts then set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Add flour, baking soda, (salt, if needed) and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add eggs and sour cream, blending well with a whisk. Add cooled Guinness mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well combined. Add the Guinness mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well, without over mixing.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread the top evenly with a knife or spatula. Bake at 350º F for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is slightly springy. The cake is very moist so if you check for doneness with a toothpick, it should be somewhat fudgy, not dry and not wet!
Let cake cool in pan for exactly 10 minutes. Use a knife or cake spatula around the edges of the cake pan to help it release from the pan. Carefully remove cake from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
When cake has cooled, drizzle with chocolate ganache or dust with powdered sugar
To make chocolate ganache:
Heat 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat. Chop chocolate into small pieces and place them in a glass mixing bowl.
When heavy cream is starting to bubble, but not yet boiling, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate pieces. Let sit for a minute or two, then stir until melted.
Let ganache cool to desired consistency before drizzling over cake. Ganache will thicken when completely cooled. Reheat in a double boiler over low heat.
Notes
Can I use a different cake pan to bake this cake?I find a bundt pan the best way to make this Guinness cake because it allows the cake to bake evenly. A tube pan will also work well, as will any high sided pan with a hole in the middle. I have also tested this recipe in a 9 inch springform pan. The cake will need a few more minutes to cook, so start checkin for doneness around the 45 minutes mark. Isn't Guinness cake usually made with cream cheese frosting?This cake is delicious with ganache, cream cheese frosting, a dusting of powdered sugar, or as is. If you want to top with cream cheese frosting, you can pipe it onto the bundt cake, or make a layer cake and spread it on. Here's a great cream cheese frosting recipe to try.I don't like beer, will I like this cake? What does Guinness cake taste like?This cake doesn't taste like beer! The Guinness actually enhances the taste of the chocolate, so if you love love chocolate, you'll love this cake. Expect to enjoy a dark chocolate flavor that's slightly bitter with notes of caramel and roasted coffee.