This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
If you’re looking for a decadent dessert that combines deep chocolate flavor with a hint of malty richness, this chocolate Guinness stout cake recipe is a must-try. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, special occasions, or any time you crave an indulgent treat, this cake is incredibly moist, rich, and topped with a velvety smooth cream cheese frosting.
As a food blogger, it’s a little ridiculous how many recipes are on my “to-make” list.
But inspiration is everywhere! Movies, books, magazines, other food blogs.
Meals I remember my mom making as a kid. Foods that my grandmother telling me she enjoyed as a youngster.
Familiar seasonal dishes and celebratory foods, and also new food combinations I dream up.
The hardest part is keeping up with my ever-growing list!
I’ve had chocolate Guinness cake on list of recipes to make for a very long time now. Recently I bought a four-pack of Guinness to make Guinness beef stew and I was left with three cans of Guinness. It was the perfect excuse to make this cake, and just in time for St. Paddy’s Day!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Deep, Complex Flavor – Guinness beer enhances the chocolate for a deeper, richer taste.
- Ultra Moist Texture – The combination of beer, butter, and yogurt (or sour cream) creates an incredibly moist, tender crumb that your fork will sink right into!
- The Frosting Really is the Icing on the Cake – This decadent buttercream is aromatic with vanilla bean, and slightly reminiscent of the foamy head on top of freshly-poured stout.
- Easy to Make – Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make this a foolproof dessert.
- Perfect for Any Occasion – Whether celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging, this cake is always a hit. It would be a fun birthday cake for the beer lover in your life!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Chocolate Guinness Cake Ingredients
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour here.
- Cocoa powder – Unsweetened, natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder.
- Baking soda – The leavening agent.
- Salt – To make sure the cake isn’t bland. A little bit of salt enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Eggs – Eggs add structure and help create the perfect texture in this cake.
- Granulated white sugar and light brown sugar – In this cake we use a mix of white and brown sugar for the perfect sweetness level. The hint of molasses in the brown sugar plays beautifully on the chocolate notes.
- Avocado oil – You can also use vegetable oil or any neutral or mild-flavored oil you have on hand. Using oil instead of butter helps make the cake ultra moist.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Sour cream also works well here.
- Pure vanilla extract – To deepen the notes of chocolate.
- Guinness Draught Stout – The beer adds moisture, enhances the chocolate flavor, and provides a subtle malty depth, making the cake richer and more complex.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – In this frosting recipe, we use equal parts of butter and cream cheese. Butter adds richness that perfectly balances the tanginess of cream cheese.
- Cream cheese – Adds a lovely subtly tangy flavor and velvety smooth texture.
- Vanilla bean paste – For flavor, aroma, and gorgeous little flecks of vanilla.
- Powdered sugar – Provides stability as well as sweetness.
Pro Tip: Why Yogurt or Sour Cream in Cake?
Greek yogurt or sour cream adds moisture and richness to the cake while also contributing a slight tang that balances the sweetness. It helps create a tender, soft crumb and enhances the overall depth of flavor. Plus, the acidity in Greek yogurt or sour cream interacts with the baking soda, aiding in leavening and ensuring a light, fluffy texture.
How to Make This Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
To prep, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit in the bottom.
- Stir or whisk together all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the eggs and granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a large bowl. Whisk until thick and creamy. Whisk in the oil, yogurt, and vanilla, and then the Guinness.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk to combine. The batter will be bubbly from the beer. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Once the cake is cool, make the frosting. Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla bean paste. Add the powdered sugar and beat the mixture with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cooled cake with the buttercream. Enjoy!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Refrigerator – Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer – Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and pop it into a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw the cake before frosting and serving.
Variations
- Gluten-Free Option – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour.
- Extra Chocolatey – Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the batter before baking.
Pro Tips For the Best Guinness Stout Cake Recipe
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – This ensures a smooth batter and even baking.
- Don’t Overmix – Stir just until combined to keep the cake light and tender.
- Let the Cake Cool Completely – You can’t rush perfection! Frosting a warm cake will cause it to melt.
- Enhance the Flavor – Try adding a pinch of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate taste even more.
FAQs
Stout is a type of dark beer made with roasted malt or roasted barley and hops, water, and yeast. In general, stouts are dark and rich with a roasty, malty flavor and notes of coffee and/or chocolate. Historically, stout referred to a strong, highly alcoholic beer.
There is a variety of different types of stouts based on other ingredients that are used during the brewing process. A few examples are oatmeal stout, milk stout, chocolate stout, and coffee stout.
You can read more about stouts on Britannica and Vinepair.
Adding stout to a chocolate cake is not all that different from adding coffee, although the stout provides a maltiness that coffee lacks.
Basically, Guinness enhances the flavor nuances in chocolate, and helps pull out the different notes that are already there.
Yes! You can substitute with a non-alcoholic stout or strong brewed coffee (cooled to room temperature) for a similar depth of flavor.
Chocolate Guinness cake is deeply chocolatey with malty, roasty flavor notes and a moist and tender crumb. The rich cream cheese buttercream is aromatic with vanilla bean, and slightly reminiscent of the foamy head on top of freshly-poured stout.
If you’re wondering if this cake tastes like beer, the answer is not entirely.
Stout adds a complexity to this recipe that provides malty, hoppy, roasted flavor notes.
You will be able to taste it, but it’s not like sitting down to a mug (or stein) of Guinness. Instead, it’s much more mellow.
The slight hoppy bitterness of this cake is accented perfectly with a sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting. Together, they make a lovely, balanced flavor pairing.
More Dessert Recipes with Guinness
- Vanilla Bean Guinness Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Fudgy Guinness Brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake Recipe with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
Chocolate Guinness Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup full-fat unflavored Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Guinness Draught Stout
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Other:
- Butter for the pan
- All-purpose flour for the pan
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit in the bottom.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract, and then whisk in the Guinness.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.
- Run a paring knife along the outside of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then peel off the parchment paper.
- Cool the cake completely.
For the Frosting:
- Once the cake is cool, make the frosting. Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar and use a hand-held electric beater to mix until smooth and creamy.
To Frost the Cake:
- Place the cake on a cake plate or cake stand and top with the frosting, spreading it around. This makes enough frosting to frost the top and sides of a 9-inch cake, but I like to pile it on thick and only frost the top.
Notes
- Storage: Store this cake wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Make Ahead: Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and pop it into a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw the cake before frosting and serving.
- Frosting Tip: To make this frosting even more special, I like to add 1/8 teaspoon almond extract and 1/8 teaspoon butter extract. I find that it simulates the flavor of Irish cream!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
