Chocolate Guinness Cake Recipe (2024)

By Nigella Lawson

Chocolate Guinness Cake Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
5(6,873)
Notes
Read community notes

For me, a chocolate cake is the basic unit of celebration. The chocolate Guinness cake here is simple but deeply pleasurable, and has earned its place as a stand-alone treat.

Featured in: AT MY TABLE; A Feast for a Holiday, Or Everyday Exulting

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch cake or 12 servings

    For the Cake

    • Butter, for the pan
    • 1cup Guinness stout
    • 10tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (see Tip)
    • ¾cup unsweetened cocoa
    • 2cups superfine sugar
    • ¾cup sour cream
    • 2large eggs
    • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 2cups all-purpose flour
    • teaspoons baking soda

    For the Topping

    • cups confectioners' sugar
    • 8ounces cream cheese at room temperature
    • ½cup heavy cream

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

512 calories; 26 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 46 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 345 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Chocolate Guinness Cake Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

  2. Step

    2

    In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

  3. Step

    3

    For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

  4. Step

    4

    Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

Tip

  • The recipe for this cake in Nigella Lawson's cookbook "Feast: Food to Celebrate Life" (Hyperion, 2004) calls for 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter.

Ratings

5

out of 5

6,873

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

maria

Love this cake. I do think a little Bailey's in the frosting does wonders.

JM

By volume, a 9" springform pan is 10 cups. You can use 2 "standard" 8" or 9" pans instead. Or make 18-24 cup cakes.

I used a 9" square pan and made 6 cupcakes as well (the 9" square has a volume of about 8 cups). I baked the cupcakes for about 25 minutes and the cake for 45.

Patrick

We make this cake one day in advance. It tastes better and it's a little more moist. We release the spring form after about an hour in the cooling process so the sides don't stick the next day. We prepare the frosting the day we plan to serve.
In a side by side taste test with my family of 19 tasters... this was a clear winner over the epicurious three layer Guinness cake.

sundevilpeg

It's better with 1) a half-teaspoon of kosher salt added to the dry ingredients, and 2) a better stout than Guinness - preferably a chocolate stout.

thelettermegan

Made this cake for the folks. They loved it! Didn’t notice the Guinness in the cake, but I noticed there was leftover beer in the bottle, so it was a win for the cook.

Rothbart

Please list ingredients by weight, not by volume.

ann

Made cake as stated. I used about 3 oz. of goat cheese in the topping in place of cream cheese. To accompany the cake I use a jar of Morrelo cherries simmered in a bit of sugar and ruby port. Served it on a plate and put the cake on top. It was a warm syrupy mixture that set off the deep chocolate cake. It was awesome and pretty.

Gail

For those of you asking for weight. You can find it on Nigella's website
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chocolate-guinness-cake-3086

Katrina

This was superb and so easy to make! Not too sweet (I used ordinary sugar, not superfine, and didn't adjust quantity). Came out perfectly. Icing was easy too, and frosted beautifully. My husband loved the deep flavor of chocolate with a hint of bitterness. Looked gorgeous as well! Did I mention how easy it was to make? :)

Queenoid

I made it in Denver (5280', folks, if you had forgotten!) and it didn't fall! Changes:
9oz stout
6.25 oz sugar: 2cups minus 2T
10.25 oz flour: added 2T to the 2cups
2 tsp baking soda (not 2.5)
Baked at 375 (actually in my convection oven, 350 which is 375 in normal ovens) for 35 mins. I should have checked at 30 mins.
Also, I food-processed the sugar and cream cheese, then added the whipping cream just until I liked the texture.
Quite yummy

Clare

I made this recipe into cupcakes, adjusting the cooking time downwards and just using a cake tester to figure out when they were done. I also used the food processor to make superfine sugar out of white granulated sugar with no problems. The cupcakes were a hit!

sundevilpeg

I make this with the above-noted changes (salt, a better stout) in a Bundt pan, rather than a springform, and don't frost it at all. Dusting with a mix of confectioner's sugar and cocoa is all it needs, not a thick gloppy frosting.

Maryriver

I have made this over and over since it was first published and think it is the best in the world! Last one I used a cherry ale instead of Guinness. Also tossed in a coupla handfuls of frozen Bing cherries and added more chopped cherries to the frosting and a bit more powdered sugar to thicken. The cake was grand and gone in one day. I am going to keep experimenting with the recipe as my go-to base for chocolate cake.

Lynda H.

And a few more notes on making and baking the cake:
I let the butter-Guinness-sugars-cocoa mixture cool to room temp before adding to batter.
After filling the pan, I rapped it on the counter a few times to shake out any air pockets.
I used an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness: 200 degrees F in center (don't start testing too early and deflate the cake).

ken

My go-to chocolate cake, always wins raves. It's what I think a chocolate cake should be: intensely chocolate-y, not overly sweet, and fairly dense. Occasionally I save other chocolate cake recipes but then I think, "Why bother?"

Jo A.

Came out moist and delicious but not quite chocolatey enough for me...can I just add more cocoa? How much and besides taste, how would that change the final result?

Jane Schaefer

I have been making this wonderful cake for many years from Lawson’s Feast cookbook. Always a hit and delicious any time.

Jim Draheim

I have made this cake for years just as written, and it always gets rave reviews.

J. Brown

Good but needs salt. All baked goods need salt. Add 1 tsp.

Jo A.

Yes I did that - 1/4 t fine salt. Not bad but could have gone a bit more I think.

Marianne

This is a fabulous recipe. I have made with Guinness or whatever Stout I can buy by the can at Trader Joe's. I have been making for years. It is the "official" Birthday Cake request from my family.

Stephanie

I make a very similar cake recipe as what we affectionately call Car-bomb Cupcakes (like the drink of Guinness with a shot of Jameson & Baileys dropped in) I make a Jameson Dark Chocolate ganache filling and mix Bailey's into the frosting. Every year its a huge hit and my office mates and family are currently counting down the days until I make the boozy cupcakes.

Voter Frog

Excellent, must try but with Whiskey frosting

karen

Has anyone tried this in an air fryer or microwave? My kitchen is undergoing renovation and I’m without an oven.

minahil

This cake was beautifully chocolately and dense, with a dash of complexity. Second the advice in the comments re: adding a splash of Baileys in the frosting, refrigerating the cake overnight (and making the icing the day you are serving), and adding a dash of salt to dry ingredients. The cocoa powder I had on hand was old, so I supplemented w/ chopped dark chocolate, which did wonders for both taste and texture. Also chocolate shavings on top of icing do wonders for presentation

Sue

I have made this several times and it seems to rise and then deflate when completed baking. It still tastes great and I turn it over so no one can see. Why does this happen? I am using a dark springform pan lined as directed; I have tried reducing the baking temperature and baking at directed temperature on another try. Research on-line states the batter was either over mixed or under mixed (not so helpful!) I used a whisk as directed. I would appreciate any thoughts. Electric oven

Donna

What caused the cake to collapse in the middle?

Jane Schaefer

You should bake longer.

David B.

I like to put spinach at the end to give it a brightness and a little extra nutrition.

Abbey

I’ve made this before with success but this time decided it would be fine to use a smaller cake pan. After a catastrophic spillover in the oven and abandoned bake I still had a mostly liquid cake so I opted to spoon the batter into a mini waffle iron and make waffle whoopie pies! Talk about lemons into lemonade. I used Kerrygold butter in the frosting instead of cream cheese, plus a splash of vanilla extract and extra Guinness

Caitlin

Has anyone made this recipe with non-alcoholic Guinness (I am sober). I may just have to try this!

Mary E.

The original 8 extra tablespoons of butter are not needed?

mll

I have made it multiple times with the revised amount of butter, and it is fantastic, so no, I don't think it's needed. I don't know how it could be made any better!(Tho Baileys in the frosting is amazing...)

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Chocolate Guinness Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does alcohol cook out of Guinness cake? ›

Is there alcohol in Guinness cake? While the alcohol does bake out of the cake itself, the icing does have a little bit of liquor; 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk can be used in place of Irish cream liqueur.

Can kids eat chocolate Guinness cake? ›

Unless there is a true alcohol allergy, this Guinness cake should be OK for children to eat. Much of the alcohol evaporates during the baking process. Cakes that are soaked in an alcohol syrup should be avoided.

What does chocolate Guinness cake taste like? ›

Taste: Chocolate heaven, with light, almost coffee-like notes from the Guinness, and a sweet Irish cream frosting, topped off with more chocolate decadence from the ganache. Texture: The cake is moist and fudgy, while the frosting is lusciously smooth and creamy.

What can you substitute for Guinness in a cake? ›

Can I substitute the Guinness for something non-alcoholic? Yes! I would recommend either fresh-brewed espresso or coffee or hot water. All will make an equally delicious cake.

How long does it take for alcohol to bake out of a cake? ›

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), baked or simmered dishes that contain alcohol will retain 40% of the original amount after 15 minutes of cooking, 35% after 30 minutes and 25% after an hour. But there's no point at which all of the alcohol disappears.

Why does my Guinness cake sink in the middle? ›

If the cake has sunk a little in the centre, it is likely that it has not quite fully baked. When baked the cake should be risen, firm to the touch in the centre and slightly shrinking away from the sides of the tin at the top edge of the cake.

How much alcohol is in Guinness chocolate? ›

Allergy Statement: Contains milk, soy, wheat, sheanut. This product may contain traces of Almonds, Hazelnuts, Brazil Nuts, Pecans, Macadamias, Walnuts, Pistachios. This product contains less than 0.5% alcohol.

Can my 1 year old eat chocolate cake? ›

There is no official advice on when babies can have chocolate, but doctors suggest avoiding foods with caffeine and added sugar until at least age 2.

Can kids have non alcoholic Guinness? ›

Even if a beer has zero alcohol — which isn't the case for all nonalcoholic beers, which sometimes have trace amounts of less than 0.05% alcohol — pediatricians say that it's best not to let kids sip on nonalcoholic booze.

What is chocolate heaven cake? ›

One for the chocolate lovers! Decadent chocolate sponges filled with white chocolate ganache and chocolate mousse. Decorated with chocolate ganache and an array of chocolate toppings including: White chocolate Truffles, Chocolate Heaven Brownie chunks, Chocolate Shavings and Maltesers.

What is the best stout for baking? ›

Dark, smooth, and creamy, with roast coffee and caramel undertones, Guinness stout is often used in baking and almost always paired with chocolate. The two work well together because Guinness, like coffee, intensifies chocolate's natural flavor.

Why does cake crack when baking? ›

The oven temperature is too high. If the top crust forms and sets before the cake has finished rising, the middle will try to push through the crust as it continues to bake, causing it to crack and possibly dome. Check your oven with an oven thermometer and reduce the temperature accordingly if it is running hot.

What can I add to Guinness to make it taste better? ›

There are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that you can mix with Guinness. Mix champagne for a bubbly finish, rum for a deep richness, or ginger beer for some spice.

What is the secret ingredient in Guinness beer? ›

Is Guinness vegan? Guinness Draught became vegan-friendly in 2017. Before this change, Guinness used isinglass (a fish-derived gelatine) to clarify its beer.

What is the little thing in the Guinness can? ›

Just saying the word 'widget' puts us in a good mood. It's essentially a small, white nitrogen filled ball that sits inside the can, and the second the can is opened, the widget does what it has so patiently been waiting to do. It releases the magic surge of bubbles, replicating the draught experience in a can.

Does the alcohol cook out of Guinness? ›

If you're covering the DO immediately after adding the beer, then, no, expect the alcohol to remain in the food. If you have a long braise uncovered, then you'll evaporate off most of the alcohol, from what I've read over the last several years, a little bit will remain.

Does alcohol cook off during baking? ›

A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data lab confirmed this and added that food baked or simmered in alcohol for 15 minutes still retains 40 percent of the alcohol. After an hour of cooking, 25 percent of the alcohol remains, and even after two and a half hours there's still 5 percent of it.

Does alcohol in a cake bake off? ›

Don't fall for the myth of food-based alcohol sobriety

There is some truth to the statement that alcohol burns off during cooking. Yes, some alcohol does evaporate and burn off during the cooking process; however, It's probably a less amount than you think.

Can you cook with alcohol free Guinness? ›

In Stews

Guinness 0.0 is the perfect addition to any beef & ale stew (or pie pilling if that's your bag). Alcohol isn't always burned off during cooking, especially during slow cooking. So using the alcohol free variation can ensure no alcohol is present in your meal, making it safe for all to eat.

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