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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
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Chocolate Guinness Stout Cake Recipe with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
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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.
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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.
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