Clodagh's chocolate Guinness cake

Tuesday 17 March at 5:16pm

What better to celebrate this St Patrick's Day than with Clodagh's delicious chocolate Guinness cake. Perfect to enjoy with a cuppa (or a pint?).

Ingredients

260g unsalted butter

300ml Guinness or Irish stout

100g cocoa powder

2 free-range eggs

420g caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

180ml buttermilk

300g plain white flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Icing

200g unsalted butter, softened

600g icing sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla essence

600g full-fat cream cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Line the base of a 30cm round springform cake tin with baking parchment
To make the cake, heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat until melted. Stir in the Guinness, then remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and buttermilk, and then slowly add the Guinness mixture, whisking all the time
In a separate large bowl, sieve together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Using an electric whisk, slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and keep whisking until it is well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Test to make sure the cake is cooked by inserting a dry skewer into the middle of the cake - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. Set aside to cool a little, then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the icing by blending all the ingredients together using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy
Place the cake on a plate and generously spread the icing on top. The cake will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.