Chocolate Guinness Beer Cake
“Thick, chocolatey and velvety soft, this chocolate guinness beer cake recipe is the perfect dessert for beer and/or chocolate lovers!”
Did I ever tell you guys about that time my husband and I wanted desperately to become beer drinkers?
It was many years ago. We were sitting in the living room watching tv when this beer commercial came on. I think it was a Heineken or something. They showed that cold, crisp refreshing beverage being poured into a frosty mug. The froth bubbled over the top and our mouths watered!
Hubby ran out to the store and brought back a six pack. We placed them on the counter, looked at each other like two mischeivious teens sneaking into their parents beer and immediately took it to the head.
I wish you guys could have seen our disgusted faces. That wasn’t our first time having beer. We’d tried to like this stuff on several occasions with several different brands and we could never get past the first sip!
It’s just sooo…nasty!!
Ok beer drinkers, please advise! Is there a learning curve to this? Are we doing something wrong? Perhaps our taste buds are wired wrong? I just don’t get it! How can something so delicious looking and well loved by many taste so horrible to us?
I sure hope we get over this because I feel like I’m totally missing out!! Until then, we’ve settled for beer-infused things like beer punch and beer batter fish, you know, things that actually taste good.
Oh and this freakin awesome Chocolate Guinness Beer Cake! Yes this is how beer should taste!!
My husband was a little reluctant to try this beer cake. When I asked him to bring back some guiness beer from the store he gave me this “oh good lord woman, just give up already” look.
I told him I was making a beer cake and he did his imaginary pucking motion.
Then I told him it was a chocolate beer cake. He eyed me suspiciously but it was enough to peak his curiosity and get his butt to the store.
I knew that I was gonna love this cake. With the sharp, bubbly taste of beer I knew it would add lots of fluff to the batter the same way club soda does. Chocolate and beer works. I don’t know how but it does.
This cake doesn’t taste big like beer to me. The beer does give it a slight “twang” but I wouldn’t guess beer if I was trying ti pinpoint the flavor. It reminds me a chocolate sour cream pound cake, just not as dense.
This Guinness beer cake is thick, fluffy, chocolatey, and tender. The smooth chocolate buttercream frosting pairs so well with it! You MUST serve this cake with vanilla ice cream!!! Did you read what I just said?
Let me say it again just in case, “YOU MUST SERVE THIS CAKE WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM!” Trust me!! Once that ice cream starts to melt into this cake and frosting it’s divine!! Which leads me to believe a vanilla buttercream frosting would probably be delicious as well.
Watch me make this guinness beer cake from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Guinness Beer Cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup plain black coffee
- 1/2 cup guinness beer
- CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE, below
- 3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk, may need more or less
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter.
- Beat in eggs.
- Fold in vanilla extract and sour cream.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients alternating with the coffee and buttermilk.
- Fold in the beer.
- Pour cake batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. (watch it carefully after the 20 minute mark)
- Remove from oven and let sit in pans until pans are cool enough to handle.
- Remove cake from pans and let cool on a cooling rack until completely cool.
- To make the frosting, cream together powdered sugar and butter.
- Add cocoa powder and just enough milk to make it easy to mix.
- Stir in vanilla extract and melted chocolate.
- Frost cake. (I sometimes place the icing in the fridge to let it firm up a bit before frosting the cakes.
- Frost the cakes.
Video
can this be made as a sheet cake?
I had a similar experience with Guinness. I like beer but this was much too bitter for my taste. Not wanting it to go to waste I went looking for something to make with it. I found another chocolate cake recipe that is frosted with cream cheese frosting. It was sooo good! I haven’t tried yours yet but I am sure it will be just as good.
Love your website. I also follow your comments on the fb page southern comfort cooking. I used your cake recipe but topped it with bailey’s Irish cream frosting. My husband’s b-day is St Patrick’s Day so his meal and dessert is over the tip Irish.
I love your page and this recipe sounds so great
but i always spend more time converting than baking
🙁
but i love to try this cake, i’m gonna serve it with an opposite flavor beer and vanilla ice cream
Love your cakes can you tell me if coffee is cold or hat.Thank you
Just what a chocolate cake should be. Chocolatey and moist. I froze the layers and frosted them a week later. Used a chocolate marscapone frosting. worth every calorie. Used extra dark cocoa powder in both cake and frosting. Will replace my chocolate cake recipes with this one.