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Two slices of Guinness Chocolate Cake on a white plate with a fork and mint sprig.
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Guinness Chocolate Cake

A recipe for Guinness Chocolate Cake! Thin Guinness buttermilk chocolate cake slices are layered with a light vanilla-scented whipped cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Irish
Keyword buttermilk, cake, chocolate, cream, dessert, Guinness, mascarpone, whipped cream
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10 -12 Servings

Ingredients

For the Sponge:

  • 2 cups (500 milliliters) Guinness
  • 1 stick (125 grams) unsalted butter plus more for the pans
  • 1 cup (generous, 140 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (scant, 35 grams) cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup (75 milliliters) buttermilk

For the Cream:

  • 1 1/4 cups (300 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' sugar
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoon mascarpone
  • 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped out

Instructions

  • Place a saucepan under an extraction (exhaust) fan, pour in the Guinness and set over high heat.
  • Reduce to half the quantity (1 cup/250 milliliters). Set aside to cool.
  • Melt the butter in a separate pan, then leave it to cool.
  • Butter 2 jelly roll pans, each about 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 centimeters), and line with parchment paper.
  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
  • Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, whisk to mix, then make a well in the center.
  • Add 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) of the Guinness reduction with the cooled melted butter, egg and buttermilk and whisk the batter until no lumps are left.
  • Divide the mixture between the 2 prepared pans, then bake for 10 minutes. Insert a metal skewer into the center: when it emerges, it should be clean; also the cake should bounce back to the touch. It should be just cooked, rather than overcooked. The mix is wet and you really need to use a metal skewer to check it's done in the center.
  • Leave in the pans to cool, then chill. The cake needs to be chilled when you're cutting it to assemble the cake.
  • Halve both chilled cakes widthways, then trim the cakes so you have 4 matching flat layers that will sit neatly on top of each other.
  • Whip together the cream, confectioners' sugar, buttermilk, mascarpone, and vanilla seeds to soft peaks.
  • Use this to sandwich the cake layers together.
  • Serve in slices, so you see the layers.