This chocolate cake is rich moist and has the most tender crumb. Jump to our Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe with Creamy White Frosting or read on to see our tips for making it.
The cake is not only inspired by a perfectly poured glass of Guinness, but there’s about half of a bottle added to the batter. You’ll want a big slice of this one, promise.
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How to Make Chocolate Cake with Guinness
This cake is rich and moist. It’s hard to only eat one slice!
Combine melted butter and stout beer then whisk in cocoa powder. Add that to a bowl with dry ingredients then add eggs and sour cream — making it moist as ever. Easy!
Pour the batter into a cake pan then bake. When the cake has baked and cooled add the creamy white frosting. It’s made with cream cheese, cream and cream. It’s so creamy and delicious. In facet, we love this frosting so much, we use it for our popular carrot cake recipe.
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Recipe updated, originally posted March 2012. Since posting this in 2012, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne
Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe with Creamy Frosting
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
About half a bottle of beer is added to an already moist and rich cake. The cake tastes like rich chocolate with just a hint of stout.
You Will Need
Chocolate Cake3/4 cup Guinness Stout beer
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pans (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whipping cream
Directions
- Prepare Batter
1Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter then dust the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with cocoa powder.
2Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat then add beer and warm through. Remove from heat, and then whisk in cocoa powder until completely smooth. Cool 1 minute.
3Meanwhile, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl then use a clean whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended.
4Pour cocoa and stout mixture into the dry ingredients then use a spatula to gently stir together. You do not need to beat, just stir until incorporated. Now add the egg and sour cream mixture and continue to stir until incorporated.
- Bake Cake
1Pour batter into prepared cake pan then bake until a tooth pick can be inserted and come out clean and when you tap the top of the cake, it bounces back; about 40 minutes. Transfer cake, in pan, to a cooling rack and cool 10 minutes then turn cake out of the pan onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- To Finish
1Add cream cheese and vanilla extract to a large bowl then use a hand mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar a 1/4 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the cream and beat until the frosting is light and creamy. Frost top of cake.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Recipe adapted and inspired from two fantastic Stout cakes, one from Nigella Lawson’s book, Feast and the other printed in Bon Appétit Magazine, September 2002.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
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Wow this cake is really scrumptious. Just the righ amount of chocolate flavor and beautiful creamy icing. I used a newer lower profile Bundt pan to bake for 40 minutes. Thanks for this recipe. I can’t wait to try some others.
Hi, if I dont have beer on hand and exclude the beer from the recipie will that chocolate cake still be delicious and moist?
Yes, replace the beer with brewed coffee (also brings out the flavor of cocoa) or water.
The 1st time I made this cake everyone at the gathering absolutely loved it. I’ve made it 3 times now. Chocolate lovers must try this CAKE!!! Most amazing cake! Also love Insired Taste carrot cake!
This cake looks fabulous. You are such great cooks! I want to thank you for the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe of my dreams. I have never been able to find a recipe without butter in it. I love butter but it dilutes the cream cheese flavor in my opinion. I don’t know why I didn’t just try it without a recipe. Chicken I guess. Thanks so much for another wonderful recipe.
Hello,
This cake is so awesome! I’ve made it a few times now, and I and my friends just love it. The only problem I’m having is that the center sinks somewhat and doesn’t look cooked like the other parts of the cake. I have even baked the cake for 45 minutes, but it doesn’t change. It looks darker and bubbly towards the center on the top, which is somewhat sunken (there’s no dome). It’s still delicious though!! Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you very much.
I made this cake for St. Patty’s Day and it was amazing but the frosting came out very runny. 1/2 cup of whipping cream is way too much and I would caution others to just use enough whipping cream to make the frosting creamy and it really depends on how much Bailey’s you add also. Most cream cheese frosting recipes don’t even call for whipping cream so I think you could even omit it. Hope this is helpful to others!
This cake sounds amazing! I’m looking for something to make for my Grandpas 85th and this is right up his ally. One question tho, he has to be dairy free, any substitute for the sour cream? I’ve got vegan butter and can hopefully find an alternative frosting (Any suggestions for that would be great as well) Thanks so much!
How about a dairy-free yogurt — like coconut yogurt or soy?
Hello! I made your carrot cake and it was incredibly delicious. My family and friends absolutely loved it!!! I plan to try the chocolate cake recipe next. I have a quick question regarding the frosting. You mentioned this is the same frosting used for the carrot cake. However, the carrot cake frosting does not list vanilla as an ingredient and also uses 1/3 cup cream (instead of 1/2 cup). Can you please tell me which is correct? Again, the frosting made from the carrot cake recipe was awesome. Thank you very much for sharing your recipes!
We now prefer the frosting with 1/3 cup of cream. I have updated the recipe.
Made this cake for a dinner party and everyone loved it. One of the best chocolate cakes ever!! I added some strawberries on top to look pretty. Great pics and directions. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi! I love your website! Tried your muffins and they were to die for. Tried to bake this last night but my cake came out with a mound in the middle (,uneven rising?) And my frosting was quite runny…can I check if I am supposed to use the handmixer for the powdered sugar addition and the heavy cream parts too? Or just the handmixer for the cream cheese and vanilla? Tastes heavenly though! My husband found the frosting a tad sweet but what does he know? Haha…will make this again!!