Guinness Stout Cake with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting
The darkest of Guinness Stout cakes topped with the most luscious Bailey’s cream cheese frosting. A wonderful St. Patrick's Day or everyday celebration cake!
Ingredients
Guinness Stout Cake:
- 1 cup (240 mL) Guinness stout
- 1 cup (315 g) unsulphured dark molasses
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup (180 mL) canola or vegetable oil
- 2 cups (250 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon grated, peeled ginger root
Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¾ cup (6 oz; 170 g) unsalted butter softened
- 6 ounces (170 g) cream cheese room temperature
- pinch of kosher salt
- 2 cups (250) powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Grease the parchment. Set aside.
- Prepare Cake: In a large saucepan (4 quarts or larger), whisk together the Guinness stout and molasses. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately turn off and remove from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda - be very careful as the mixture will foam and bubble significantly. Allow the mixture to sit, whisking occasionally, until the foam dissipates, this could take 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk in the oil. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and ground spices. Set aside.
- Once the foam has dissipated from the Guinness/molasses mixture, whisk it slowly into the egg and sugar mixture. Whisk the liquid mixture into the flour mixture gently, half at a time, until just combined. Stir in the fresh ginger. Do not over mix.
- Transfer and divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans (tip: the total batter weight = 1250 grams; each cake pan should get roughly 625 grams of batter). Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, or until the top springs back lightly when touched. Do not open the oven door during baking, as the cake has a tendency to fall in the center if disturbed.
- Allow cake to cool in pans on a rack for 15 minutes, before carefully removing and placing on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting: Once cake has cooled completely, prepare the frosting. Place the butter, cream cheese, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until creamy. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Over low speed, add the Bailey’s Irish cream and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottoms of the bowl, increase mixer speed to medium and beat frosting for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Assemble Cake: To assemble, place four strips of wax paper on edges of a cake stand or serving plate. Since this cake produces relatively thin layers (and is meant to be more rustic), I don’t recommend leveling the cake layers, as you will waste a lot of cake. Place one cake layer on the bottom of the plate, top-side facing up. Scoop roughly 1 cup (or more) of cream cheese frosting over the first layer, and use a large offset spatula to evenly spread the frosting until it just begins to go over the edges of the cake layer.
- Top with the remaining cake layer (bottom side up). Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes. Using a large offset spatula, decorate cake with any remaining frosting as desired.
- Cake best served the day it is baked. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Leftover cake can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator. Allow slices to come to room temperature before serving.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 459kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 380mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 24g