This is a beautifully moist and chocolaty cake paired with a tangy cream cheese frosting. I was inspired to make this cake after frequenting some of Amsterdam’s microbreweries and then happened upon this recipe in my new favourite book, Cake Days by the Hummingbird Bakery.I have substituted the Guinness with a Stout from one of Amsterdam’s local breweries – Brouwerij De Prael. You can read more about Amsterdam’s local Breweries in an upcoming post.
You’ll need a 23cm diameter spring-from cake tin.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 250 ml Guinness/similar stout
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 80 g cocoa powder
- 400 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 140 ml buttermilk
- 280 g plain flour
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the frosting
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened
- 300 g icing sugar
- 125 g cream cheese
- Cocoa powder for dusting
Method
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celius, then line the base of the tin with baking paper (I also grease the base and sides of the tin with a little butter).
Pour the Guinness into a saucepan, add the butter and gently heat until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder and sugar. In a seperate bowl or jug, mix together the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and add to the mixture in the saucepan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, bicarb and baking powder. Pour in the contents of the pan, scrape down the sides and using a hand-held electric beater, set on a low speed, mix thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tine and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool and then remove from the tin on to a wire rack, making sure the cake is cold to the touch before frosting it.
Using the electric beater, mix the butter and icing sugar together until there are no large lumps of butter and it is fully combined with the sugar. Add the cream cheese and mix on a low speed, then increase the speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Place the cooled cake on to a plate and top generously with the frosting. Finish by dusting with cocoa powder.
Recipe courtesy of Cake Days by the Hummingbird Bakery.
