My contribution to a St. Patrick's Day-themed happy hour at work this year was a Chocolate Stout Cake from Fine Cooking. The Whole Foods closest to us has a small beer room when you can buy single beers, so I was able to buy one can of Guinness Stout for the recipe.
The recipe method was similar to other chocolate-stout cakes I've made in the past. You bring molasses and stout to a simmer and set the mixture aside. In a separate bowl, you beat softened butter and brown sugar; add eggs; alternately add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, natural cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and the stout-molasses mixture; and stir in finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. I poured the batter into a Bundt pan that I had greased with shortening and coated in cocoa powder.
I cooled the baked cake slightly before unmolding it, and while it was just barely warm I poured over a ganache glaze made from heavy cream and chocolate. I really liked the way the finished cake looked. The glaze was nice and thick -- so it didn't all just roll off the sides of the cake -- and it had a flawless matte finish. The glaze didn't set completely firm but it was thick enough that it held its shape after I sliced the cake and transported it to work in a plastic container.
This cake was dense, moist, and very chocolate-y. I used Scharffen Berger 62% chocolate in the cake and the glaze and the chopped chocolate pieces in the cake batter were so small that they disappeared into the cake. I thought I could detect a note of sourness from the stout. The glaze, which was fused seamlessly to the cake, was almost overkill. My tasters really liked this cake, but I thought it lacked any sort of subtlety; it was like being hit over the head with chocolate. For me, the cake was one note and not that interesting -- although I could admire the beautiful glaze all day. But I recognize that many people will be thrilled with a one-note cake, so long as that note is chocolate. This cake might not be one of my favorites, but I consider the recipe a success.
Recipe: "Chocolate Stout Cake" by Nicole Rees, from Fine Cooking Cakes & Cupcakes, recipe available here at Fine Cooking.
Previous Posts:
The recipe method was similar to other chocolate-stout cakes I've made in the past. You bring molasses and stout to a simmer and set the mixture aside. In a separate bowl, you beat softened butter and brown sugar; add eggs; alternately add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, natural cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and the stout-molasses mixture; and stir in finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. I poured the batter into a Bundt pan that I had greased with shortening and coated in cocoa powder.
This cake was dense, moist, and very chocolate-y. I used Scharffen Berger 62% chocolate in the cake and the glaze and the chopped chocolate pieces in the cake batter were so small that they disappeared into the cake. I thought I could detect a note of sourness from the stout. The glaze, which was fused seamlessly to the cake, was almost overkill. My tasters really liked this cake, but I thought it lacked any sort of subtlety; it was like being hit over the head with chocolate. For me, the cake was one note and not that interesting -- although I could admire the beautiful glaze all day. But I recognize that many people will be thrilled with a one-note cake, so long as that note is chocolate. This cake might not be one of my favorites, but I consider the recipe a success.
Recipe: "Chocolate Stout Cake" by Nicole Rees, from Fine Cooking Cakes & Cupcakes, recipe available here at Fine Cooking.
Previous Posts:
- "Baked Sunday Mornings: St. Patrick's Day Drunk Bundt Cake," March 13, 2016.
- "Nabisco Should Take Note: Black Chocolate Stout Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream," February 27, 2015.
- "The Cake Couldn't Hold It Together: Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting," November 20, 2014.
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