When it comes to dessert my Guinness Chocolate Cake will not disappoint! While traveling through Ireland I enjoyed quite a few slices of this delicious cake.
And although it doesn’t quite resemble the original version of an Irish stout cake, it’s been adopted wholeheartedly by Irish restaurateurs and pub owners. And for that I am grateful!
When you think of stout and the complex intensity of the brew, with its deep flavors, mixing it with chocolate, adds to the complexity and increases the depth of the chocolate….sigh. It’s a wonderful thing.
What ingredients do I need to make a Guinness chocolate cake?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Guinness Chocolate Cake. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I have to use Guinness in the cake recipe?
No, you can use any of your favorite dark beers or red wine to make this delicious cake. If you can’t have alcohol or would rather not include it in the recipe these are acceptable substitutes.
- Root Beer
- Black Coffee
- Black Tea
- Chocolate Milk
**Coffee will be the closest substitute that will bring out the deep chocolate notes. The alcohol will all burn off, and I promise no one will get drunk from the cake.
How do I make Guinness Chocolate Cake?
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the Guinness to the melted butter and bring to a simmer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Mix well and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Why is the cocoa added to the warm Guinness?
By adding the cocoa to the warm Guinness and letting sit for a few minutes, were allowing the cocoa to bloom. This step brings out the cocoa’s deep chocolate notes and helps create the rich chocolate flavors that this cake is known for.
Why do I melt the butter instead of creaming it with the sugar?
This is a different technique than most cakes call for. By melting the butter and adding it to the Guinness and cocoa, the butter now reacts to the mixture like oil and produces a soft moist crumb.
- Whisk together the Greek yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cooled cocoa mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well blended and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Set to the side until needed. **Combine all the ingredients using a wire whisk.
- Add the flour to the chocolate mixture and stir until well incorporated. *Be careful not to overmix!
Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan and place on the center rack of a 350 degree F. preheated oven.
While the cake is baking, you have time to make the frosting (vanilla is not pictured)
Can I add a little Baileys Irish Cream to the Frosting?
You sure can! Just swap out the heavy cream for the Baileys Irish Cream.
Cool the finished cake on a wire rack until cool to the touch. Transfer the cooled cake to a cake dish for frosting.
Make sure to let the cake fully cool before frosting.
When the frosting is smooth and the cake has cooled, frost the top of the cake with the frosting. The cake should resemble a pint of Guinness.
I actually learned the proper way to pour a pint of Guinness at Murphy’s Bar in Killarney, Ireland.
Wouldn’t you love a slice or two of this ah-mazingly delicious Guinness Chocolate Cake? I know your family would love to partake in this taste of Ireland.
More Cakes I Know You’ll Love!
Delicious Irish Dishes To Try!
- Cottage Pie aka Shepherd’s Pie
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Dublin Coddle with Chicken Sausage
- Irish Whiskey Salmon
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Pan
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Guinness Chocolate Cake
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup Guinness
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt full fat (plain or vanilla)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Frosting
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake Pan
- Butter a 9-inch spring form pan with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Dust with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, tap out the excess cocoa powder and set off to the side.
Guinness Chocolate Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the Gunniess to the melted butter and bring to a simmer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Mix well and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the Greek yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cooled cocoa mixture to the egg mixture and mix until well blended and smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Set to the side until needed. **Combine all the ingredients using a wire whisk.
- Add the flour to the chocolate mixture and stir until well incorporated. *Be careful not to overmix!
- Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. **This is a thin batter, don't worry.
- Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with only a trace of batter attached.
- Cool the finished cake on a wire rack until cool to the touch. Transfer the cooled cake to a cake dish for frosting.**Allow the cake to cool a little longer after removing it from the pan.
Frosting
- In the bowl of your stand mixer use the paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar, the cream and vanilla.**Add more powdered sugar or cream as needed.
- When the frosting is smooth and the cake has cooled, frost the top of the cake with the frosting. **The cake should resemble a pint of Guinness.
Catherine
Everyone loved this Guinness chocolate cake! Only the tiniest piece was left on the stand because no one wanted to be “that guy”. It was a rich deep chocolate. Superb! (We had the cake a couple of hours after the delicious Guinness beef stew – of which there were NO leftovers!)
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear that everyone enjoyed my Guinness chocolate cake. I love making it all year long! I’m sure it was the perfect dessert after enjoying the Guinness stew.
Patty Gillespie
Thanks Chef Dennis for this wonderful recipe! When I saw the picture of you in Ireland pouring that glass of Guinness I was hooked! The cake is moist, easy to put together, and the frosting is to die for!!
Chef Dennis Littley
You’re very welcome, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the cake! Ireland was one of my favorite trips, and not just because of the Guinness!
Michael A
Due to scheduling issues, having a late St. Patrick’s Day dinner. All I can say is that I will never need to look for a chocolate cake recipe again…dense, moist, perfect combination of chocolate and stout. Icing is so easy to make and perfectly complements the cake.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed my Guinness chocolate cake! Don’t wait until St. Patty’s Day to make it again!
Michelle Huerta
Outstanding! Cake was nicely dense and moist with a tangy, rich chocolate flavor, while the frosting was soft and delicious, just the right topping, Besides tasting great, it actually did resemble a pint of dark beer with a foam top, which was just an added bonus if you’re making an Irish menu, however I will be making this all the time.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my Guinness cake, it’s one of my favorites!
Melinda Redding
I recently made this for an Irish friend’s birthday. This was fabulous!! Words cannot explain how delicious this cake was.
This recipe was so easy to follow and the few reminders were invaluable. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to trying more of your sweet delights!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks much for letting me know you enjoyed the cake. It’s one of my favorites!
Nelly
Can I use cake flour in place of all purpose?
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes, you can. Add two extra tablespoons of cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour, so that would be four extra tablespoons of flour. I have never used this method, but that is the formula for the exchange.
Lois
Is the Greek yogurt plain flavored?
Chef Dennis Littley
plain or vanilla will work.
Marg
Made this cake today & it’s delicious
Thanks for sharing ur recipe
Emily
Great recipe. I made it for work St patty’s day party. I did add a little vanilla to the icing. I felt it was lacking something.
Charlie Ward
This is a great cake! Do you have any ideas on making this cake into cupcakes?
Tracy Pfeifle
Delicious wish I could post a picture.
Felicity
I’m in the middle of making this recipe and notice that sometimes you say baking powder and sometimes baking soda. Would you be able to clarify which should be used?
Chef Dennis Littley
sorry for the confusion, that was a typo. It is baking powder
Debra
Rich and delicious….just the way chocolate cake should taste.
Everything Enchanting
Love chocolate cakes and this one looks so yummy 😍 I’ll have to try making this someday soon!
Jessica Formicola
I am stocked with Guinness for St. Paddy’s Day, so this cake needs to be on my must list! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe