Double-Dutched Guinness Chocolate Cake for St. Patty’s Day
St Patrick’s Day is not just an excuse to drink Irish whiskey and Guinness; it’s an excuse to bake with them as well!
Not too long ago, I had an idea to bake a Guinness Chocolate Cake with an Irish Whiskey Glaze. It had nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day, but more the affinity that Guinness has with rich dark chocolate. I couldn’t get this cake out of my head!
I decided to start with my aunt’s chocolate pound cake, which my mother had remembered, as spectacular. My aunt’s basic cake was good but tastes have changed and I thought it was a bit reserved. I wanted this cake to be luscious and moist and very chocolately! I increased the cocoa to a whole cup, substituting an additional 1/2 cup of cocoa for an equal amount of flour. I chose Dutch-process [European] cocoa instead of the lighter America cocoa to give the cake a dark, almost coal-black color.
I mixed the Guinness with an equal part of half and half for richness and added a touch of freshly ground nutmeg to the batter to add a secret “somethin’” “somethin’” to the flavor. You don’t really taste the nutmeg but it brings out the complexity and spice in the chocolate and the cake.
The first time that I made the cake, I made the Irish whiskey glaze and it was good. But I thought that it was wasteful to have to buy both Guinness and Irish whiskey if you didn’t already have it on hand. So, I changed the glaze to a Guinness glaze. You can buy a single can of Guinness in almost every grocery store, and having Guinness in both the cake and the glaze is not only delicious but economical as well.
The glaze is an essential part of the cake as you poke holes in the cake when it is still warm and slowly spoon the glaze over the cake until the holes are filed with the glaze. That way, once the cake is cooled and sliced, each piece has rivets of deep chocolate glaze set into the top of the cake.
For anyone who is nervous that the cake will taste like beer, it does not. The Guinness adds a stouty richness that makes the cake the best chocolate cake you have ever eaten. It is so good that I had to make it three times when I visited my sister and her large family because each time I made it, it was all gone before everyone could have a slice—or a hunk! This is the best way I know to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, the Ides of March, or anytime you want a great piece of chocolate cake.
Double-Dutched Chocolate Guinness Bundt Cake with Chocolate Guinness Glaze
Cake:
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup cocoa, preferably Dutch process
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg, about 1/8 th teaspoon
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ cup of half and half
½ cup of Guinness, room temperature
Chocolate Guinness Glaze:
2 overflowing cups Confectioner’s Sugar
3 generous tablespoons Dutched cocoa
3 tablespoons Guinness
2 tablespoons half and half or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of fine-grain sea salt
Whisk sugar and cocoa together and set aside. Mix Guinness, half and half, vanilla and salt together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until completely mixed and smooth.
Pan: Traditional Bundt or Pound cake Pan (12-cup capacity)
Preheat oven to 325 F
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until thoroughly mixed.
In a large bowl, mix cocoa, flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg with a whisk. In a liquid measuring cup, measure vanilla, half and half and Guinness and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients alternatively with the liquid mixture, ending with the dry (flour) ingredients.
Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the glaze and set it aside.
Let cake cool on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert cake onto rack twice so that the top is positioned up.
Poke top all over with toothpick. Spoon glaze on top and wait until it seeps into the holes. Cover holes with more glaze until the holes are full and let set for 10 minutes or so. Pour remaining glaze over top of cake and let it run down the sides. Let cool before slicing.
ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020