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Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting

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Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting tastes impressive and rich, yet fresh and irresistible. One bowl recipe, I’ve included instructions for cupcakes and high altitude adjustments, as well as non alcoholic instruction.

Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting on a white plate

It’s nearly St. Patrick’s Day and I’m just now sharing this recipe for Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting. Hopefully, that will translate into a good thing for you all because I’ve been testing and retesting different recipes for the cake and the frosting, wanting to get it just right. Unbelievably, my pants still fit thanks to the fact that it was easy to find volunteers when it came to testing. Some Chocolate Stout Cake recipes called for way too much butter, and others just weren’t moist enough. This recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson became the perfect one to pair with the creamy Irish Cream frosting. And even if I’m almost too late for St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll be making Chocolate Stout Cake all year long. But I won’t leave out you friends who don’t go the route of adding alcohol to any recipe- For you all, the cake works fabulous with Coca-Cola in place of the stout, and you can use either Irish Cream coffee creamer in the frosting, or leave the flavoring out completely.

Beer in baking recipes-

Baking with beer starts with flavor and moves into science, according to King Arthur Baking. Because of its carbonation, it assists with leavening baked goods. When used as the liquid in a recipe, it gives extra lift and tender texture to breads and cakes. In this case, for a nice addition to chocolate cake, stout beer (or even porter), because they’re brewed with roasted malt, lend flavor notes of cocoa and coffee. Porters lean more toward chocolate and malted flavors with less bitterness. Stouts offer a more intense bitter coffee flavor and are often higher in alcohol. In this particular recipe, you may use either, depending on your preference or whichever is on hand.

Chocolate Stout Cake on a white plate with serving spoon

Chocolate stout cake is super moist and packed with rich, chocolate flavor. I think the beer enhances the chocolate the same way adding espresso or coffee does. Not too sweet, either. A couple of things that are important to note from my experimenting, a lot of experimenting- Due to the addition of beer and sour cream and since you melt the butter, sugar and cocoa together, this is a wet batter and if you live in an altitude above 3,500 feet, I recommend using my high-altitude changes that are in the notes of the recipe. This will prevent the cake, or cupcakes if that’s where you’re going, from having a little sink hole in the middle. If that doesn’t bother you, then just frost it extra thick in the center.

one slice of frosted stout cake on a white plate

Irish cream liqueur is not for everyone, it’s a blend of cream and “mellow” spirits to resemble Irish whiskey. The flavor is pretty light in the frosting and becomes creamy and nutty overnight in the refrigerator. My family sampled frosting with and without the Irish cream and the liquored-up version won out. You can use regular heavy cream and some vanilla extract, instead, if you like. Also, in my recipe I whip the frosting for quite awhile to make it light and airy as you can see. If you want something more thick, don’t whip it for as long or at as high a speed. Also, if you refrigerate the cake after frosting for at least 30 minutes, the frosting will not flow over the edge like it is here, if pristine looks matter to you.

Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting slice

Some of you are going to make a cake, some will make cupcakes, and some will make it into a bundt. All fabulous choices, but each one will give you a different experience. In my house, the cake baked in a springform pan was considered the most impressive and something to serve for guests because of the super moist, dense texture. It tasted expensive and the flavors seemed to be the most pronounced here. It was the easiest for me as far as prep and looked the nicest. Cupcakes have a lighter texture and no real crust to speak of and a bundt cake will have lots of crusty edging and is super easy to cut into equal pieces.

 Frosted stout cake cupcake on white plate

Piping the cupcakes with a large round piping tip gives the top of the cakes the look of a head of thick, foamy, stout beer and this recipe is a keeper for anytime of year. For all the flavor that comes out of each bite, it tastes like it was really tricky to get right. But the bonus here is, Chocolate Stout Cake is made in one large saucepan and then poured from the pan into the cake mold, and then right into the oven. Easy, very little clean up. Pretty, and pretty good tasting, too.

For other St. Patrick Day recipes, check out my Corned Beef Dinner, Sauteed Cabbage recipe, and the easiest, tasty Irish Soda Bread around.

chocolate guinness cake with cream cheese frosting
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5 from 8 votes

Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting

Use any stout beer in the cake and Irish Cream in the frosting. Alternately, if you prefer an alcohol-free cake, substitute Coca-Cola for the beer and use Irish Cream flavored coffee creamer in the frosting (or add 1/2 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract for a different but fun flavor). This recipe works great for cupcakes as well as for the cake but the cake has a more dense, luxurious texture which might be preferable for serving company.
Course Baking, Dessert Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
Make frosting 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 389
Author Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients 

For the Chocolate Stout Cake:

  • 1 cup Stout beer, like Guinness or Murphy's
  • 10 tbsps unsalted butter, (1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

For the Irish Cream Frosting:

  • 8 Tbsps salted butter, (softened)
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar , (powdered sugar)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 5 Tbsps Irish Cream Liqueur, See recipe note

Instructions

  • About an hour before starting recipe for the frosting, take out the stick of butter and the cream cheese to allow them plenty of time to soften to room temperature.

Make the Chocolate Stout Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350F°. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 
  • In a large saucepan, combine 1 cup stout beer and 10 Tablespoons butter. Place over medium heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add ¾ cup cocoa and 2 cups sugar, then whisk to blend.
  • In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla, and 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar; mix well. Add this to the beer/butter mixture. Add 2 cups flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt, then whisk again until the mixture is pretty smooth, about 1 minute. Pour batter into the buttered pan, bake for 40 minutes to one hour, until a tooth pick and if it comes out mostly clean (start testing it at 35 minutes, depending on your oven). Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in the pan.

Make the Irish Cream Frosting:

  • In a stand mixer with flat paddle attachment, beat the 8 tablespoons of softened butter on medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add the 5 cups confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time. This mixture will remain powdery at this point. Now add 8 ounces softened cream cheese, one large scoop at a time (add in about ¼ of the cream cheese at a time). The frosting will be creamy now. Still on low speed, add the Irish cream, one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat the frosting for about 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy and increased in size.

To Frost the Cake:

  • You can use an off-set spatula to smooth over the top of the cake, leaving the sides bare or you can cover the entire cake. For a unique look, you can also place the frosting in a pastry bag with a large round tip (1cm) and starting in the center, spiral the frosting out to the edge of the cake.
  • You may serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to set the frosting before cutting. Refrigerating will prevent the frosting from seeping over the edges as it's cut. This cake is even better the day after baking/frosting as the beer and Irish Cream mellow out and really present a rich but smooth taste. Cover any leftover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to a week.

Notes

If you'd like to serve this cake without using alcoholic ingredients, substitute the 1 cup of beer for 1 cup of Coca-Cola or 1 cup of water. Substitute the Irish Cream Liqueur for Irish Cream coffee creamer, or skip the flavoring altogether and add about 2 tablespoons heavy cream, more until desired consistency is reached. You can also use 1 teaspoon vanilla with the heavy cream addition.
This recipe works great for cupcakes, though the texture is a bit more airy simply from the nature of cooking in the cupcake/muffin tin. Line muffin tins with paper liners. I like to use aluminum foil liners because the butter and sour cream kind of seep through plain paper liners. Fill the liners about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
If you want your frosting to be a bit more creamy than airy, only beat the frosting until it is smooth on medium speed. This will produce a creamy, spreadable frosting in comparison to the more airy method mentioned before.
Since this recipe has a lot of liquid in it, high altitude adjustments are highly recommended, usually for over 5,000 feet. However, I recommend the following changes for anything above 3,500 feet to prevent the cake from not rising completely in the center:
Increase the beer by 2 tablespoons
Decrease the sugar by 2 tablespoons
Increase the flour by 2 tablespoons
Decrease the baking soda by 1/2 teaspoon- So add 2 teaspoons rather than 2 1/2.
Increase oven temperature by 25F degrees. (Note, if your pan is a dark non-stick pan, it's already going to cook quickly so leave the oven temp to 350. If it's aluminum/silver, then increase the temp.)
Decrease baking time by 5 to 8 minutes.
For the reasons why you increase and decrease each of these ingredients, King Arthur Flour explains High Altitude Baking best.
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting
Amount Per Serving
Calories 389 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 287mg12%
Potassium 141mg4%
Carbohydrates 53g18%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 34g38%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 550IU11%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson’s recipe.

Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting pinterest pin

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Published on March 9, 2018

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    Recipe Rating




  1. rachael wood says

    April 20, 2022 at 6:35 AM

    5 stars
    This is a real show-off! Delicious and not difficult. Who knew you could make a delicious cake like this with beer?! Wonderful Sally.

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      April 27, 2022 at 6:58 AM

      Thanks Rachael, I agree that it’s a beauty! Yes, beer does all kinds of wonderful things to bring out the chocolate flavor of the cake while brightening up the flavor. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

      Reply
  2. jill says

    April 20, 2022 at 6:32 AM

    5 stars
    I made this last week and covered the top with shaved white chocolate and it was a HIT! Thank you for sharing Sally, it was phenomenal 🙂

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      April 27, 2022 at 6:56 AM

      Hi Jill, I’m so glad you liked it and I’ll bet the shaved chocolate looked devine!

      Reply
  3. andrea s says

    April 20, 2022 at 6:29 AM

    5 stars
    I loved this! Made mine with Guinness. and THAT FROSTING! WOW! Was a hit at the family get-together. Have to keep this in the recipe list.

    Reply
  4. Rahul says

    March 29, 2022 at 5:43 AM

    nice chocolate cake

    Reply
  5. Sharon says

    March 13, 2020 at 8:58 PM

    5 stars
    Simply perfect and delicious. Cake is dense and rich. Icing is amazing. Everyone loved it. No leftovers.

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      March 13, 2020 at 11:52 PM

      Thanks Sharon! I’m making it again this weekend, too! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for taking the time to comment, it means a lot. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Alisha says

    December 28, 2019 at 3:18 AM

    Have you tried it as cupcakes? Wanting to do this for my best friend’s birthday.

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      December 28, 2019 at 1:16 PM

      Alisha, yes! As you can see I show a picture of one of the cupcakes and they turn out wonderfully for this recipe. If you check the notes of the recipe you’ll see exactly how to bake cupcakes. Thanks for choosing this for your best friend’s birthday. I’m honored.

      Reply
  7. Kimberly CLOWARD says

    March 18, 2019 at 2:14 AM

    5 stars
    I used a 10 inch cake round. The cake was still moist and delicious. I didn’t have a big frosting tip. I put an extra dollop of frosting on each plate when I served it. The cake was a huge hit with my Sunday dinner crowd. I highly recommend it!

    Reply
  8. Leslie OMalley says

    March 13, 2019 at 10:17 PM

    Hi!

    I want to make this for St. Patricks day this Sunday. I am at almost 8,000 feet altitude. I read your alterations for altitude, and also looked at the link to King Arthur. It said when there is an acid such as buttermilk or Sour cream try switching to all baking powder and sweet milk. I’m a little confused because your recipe calls for Baking soda, and the Sour Cream would help the cake be moist. If I stay to your recipe with the modifications for altitude, do you think it would work at the altitude I am at?

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      March 13, 2019 at 10:29 PM

      Hi Leslie, I am confident in my recipe and think it’ll be fine at 8,000 feet (I’ve never seen high altitude recipes that change if the altitude is considered super high compared to at the lower end of the high altitude measurement 😊. Obviously, King Arthur is the expert but I’ve never heard of or tried what they’re recommending. Hope this helps you. Let me know how it turns out for you!

      Reply
  9. Frannie says

    March 4, 2019 at 11:40 PM

    I know I am in the minority but my family are not chocolate cake eaters..Can I make and eliminate the cocoa?

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      March 5, 2019 at 12:53 AM

      Hi Frannie, You could increase the flour to 2 1/4 cups and that might be enough to make up for the cocoa powder (You do NOT need to compensate for the entire 3/4 cup of cocoa powder). The cake will still be very flavorful with the combination of the stout beer, the sour cream, and the tablespoon of vanilla. I think it’s worth a try. If you do it, be sure to let me know how it turns out for you!

      Reply
  10. Leigh Anne Siebert says

    October 6, 2018 at 11:25 AM

    I think there is a typo in the instructions. Ingredients state 1Tbsp vanilla, but then in the instructions , it calls for 2 Tbsp. could you please clarify.

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      October 8, 2018 at 2:25 PM

      Hi Leigh Anne, Thanks for catching that. One tablespoon is correct and I’ve gone in and made the clarification.

      Reply
  11. Melissa says

    June 20, 2018 at 12:47 PM

    5 stars
    This reminds me of the one my grandma use to make 🙂 very moist!

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      June 22, 2018 at 5:12 AM

      It reminds me of my grandma’s cake too, Melissa! I hope you enjoy it.

      Reply
  12. Minka says

    March 9, 2018 at 11:45 PM

    5 stars
    Looks amazing! The cake looks so moist and that frosting! 😱 it’s a must make at our house! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      March 10, 2018 at 3:10 PM

      Thank you Minka! I hope you like it. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Kim Cloward says

    March 9, 2018 at 11:19 PM

    5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe! I am lucky enough to get to taste before the recipe gets posted. The cake is my preference… incredibly dense, tasty, and mouthwatering! The frosting has a very frothy feel…fun to eat! A perfect bite leaves a little frosting on your lip!! Yummy!!

    Reply
    • Sally Humeniuk says

      March 10, 2018 at 3:10 PM

      Thanks for being my best taster and recipe reviewer. 🙂

      Reply
About Sally - Good Dinner Mom.

About Good Dinner Mom

My name is Sally and I love to be in the kitchen. Making fresh, unique dishes is my way of showing love for family and friends and I hope that here you’ll find recipes of both healthy and indulgent dishes that will inspire you to cook more at home while sharing some love of your own. more about me

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