Chocolate and Guinness cake
Serves 10 | prep 25 mins | total time 1 hr 10 mins, plus cooling time
Chocolate and Guinness cake
Subscribe to Sainsbury's magazineServes 10 | prep 25 mins | total time 1 hr 10 mins, plus cooling time
Rate
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
468Kcal
Fat
27gr
Saturates
17gr
Carbs
53gr
Sugars
40gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
5gr
Salt
0.4gr
Rate
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 100ml Guinness
- 40g cocoa powder
- 200g light brown sugar
- 100ml whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 175g plain flour
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- milk or dark chocolate bar, to decorate
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 100g soft unsalted butter
- 200g icing sugar
- 100g full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 100ml Guinness
- 40g cocoa powder
- 200g light brown sugar
- 100ml whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 175g plain flour
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- milk or dark chocolate bar, to decorate
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 100g soft unsalted butter
- 200g icing sugar
- 100g full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Step by step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Lightly butter a 900g loaf tin that measures about 20cm x 9cm x 8cm deep and line with a strip of baking paper, so that the excess hangs over the sides of the tin (this will make removing the loaf easier).
- Put the butter into a pan and place over a medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat, and add the Guinness and cocoa powder, whisking together until smooth. Whisk the sugar, milk and eggs into the Guinness mixture.
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the Guinness mixture and whisk briefly until smooth and combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before carefully lifting out; cool on a wire rack.
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Tip Not keen on Guinness? Substitute it with Coca-Cola – it delivers that extra level of flavour just as well.
- To make the frosting, put the butter into a medium bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar in 3 stages, mixing until combined. Once all the icing sugar has been added, beat it on high speed until it's light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and beat until just fully combined (if you beat it for too long, the frosting will become too loose).
- To decorate, spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake and finish with some chocolate shavings – make these by running a flat-bladed vegetable peeler along a chocolate bar.
Don't be put off by the Guinness in this cake – it isn't the dominant flavour, it just gives more depth to the chocolate. It's that magical ingredient you might not be able to pick out, but which makes this recipe special.
