I’ve mentioned before that I really love assuming the role
of birthday cake baker. Honestly, one of the reasons I’m most excited for
finishing school (35 days!) is so that my free time can be spent on extra
baking projects! Last month we celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday and she
made it easy for me, specifically requesting this Guinness Cake!
My sister-in-law Kate had already made it once for Lynn, so
I was a little concerned that version two wouldn’t quite match up. Luckily for
me, Kate passed along tips and tricks from her baking experience so I knew to
use dark chocolate cocoa and to bake the cake in two cake pans rather than
trying to cut it in half.
One Year Ago: Tiramisu Cupcakes
Chocolate Guinness Cake with Whipped Cream and Berries
slightly adapted from Little Box Brownie
Ingredients:
for the cake-
-10 ounces Guinness
-1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa
-14 tbsp butter
-1 3/4 cups sugar
-2 eggs
-2/3 cup sour cream
-2 cups flour
-2 tsp baking soda
for the ganache-
-10 oz dark chocolate
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1 tbsp butter
for the whipped cream and berries-
-2 cups fresh berries, washed
-1 cup heavy whipping cream
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-2 tbsp confectioners' sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and liberally spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Heat Guinness, cocoa, and butter in a small saucepan and heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts.
3. Beat sugar, eggs, and sour cream in a bowl until combined. Add the Guinness mixture and stir to combine. Whisk in the flour and baking soda. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 20-30 minutes before removing cakes from pans and allowing to cool completely on racks. (Cake layers can be made one day ahead of time. Once cooled completely, wrap well in plastic wrap and foil and store at room temperature).
4. To make the ganache, set a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add chopped chocolate, cream, and butter to the bowl and heat until butter and chocolate have melted. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
5. To make the whipped cream, beat heavy cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
6. To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Top with whipped cream and half of the berries. Add second cake layer and pour ganache over top cake layer. Finish with remaining berries. Serve cake slices with extra ganache.
