St. Patrick’s Day Dessert: Chocolate Guinness Cake

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and this year we decided to swap green food coloring for this rich, velvety chocolate Guinness cake. The perfect adult-pleasing treat for St. Paddy’s Day, this cake strikes a delicious balance between the complex caramel and coffee flavors of the Guinness-based cake and the sugary sweetness of the lager-infused icing. We’re confident even non-drinkers will enjoy this decadent dessert. Read on for our recipe!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Guinness Cake

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, divided
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp Wilton Clear Vanilla Extract
1 cup Guinness® Stout

Harp Irish Lager Icing

3 bottles (12 oz. ea.) Harp® Irish Lager
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8 in. x 2 in. round pans with vegetable pan spray.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large microwaveable bowl, melt 6 ounces of chocolate and butter on 50% power for one minute. Stir and continue to melt at 50% power until smooth. (Mixture can also be melted on top of the stove in a heavy saucepan over low heat). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add sugar and beat with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture and Guinness® Stout, alternating between the two; beat until just combined. Divide evenly between two prepared pans, filling pans about 2/3rds full.
Bake 38-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans; remove and cool completely on cooling grid.
For icing, combine Harp® lager and salt in a large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until liquid has reduced to about 1/3 of a cup; about 30-35 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening with electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed. Add reduced lager, one tablespoon at a time, continuing to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. If icing is too soft, add additional confectioners’ sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
To assemble, spread icing onto one layer of cake; top with second cake layer. Using a spatula or spoon, ice top and sides of cake with remaining icing. Shave remaining 2 ounces chocolate with peeler; press onto sides of cake.

Can’t resist the siren call of green-tinged desserts? Add a few drops of Kelly Green Gel Icing Food Color when mixing your icing! Wishing you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all your friends at Wilton. Cheers!