Moist, tender, rich and so very chocolatey, this Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake with chocolate ganache is the perfect addition to your St-Patrick's Day menu!
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If you're looking for a special dessert to celebrate St-Patrick's Day, and want something with some serious dark chocolate flavour then this is the cake for you!
This Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake is as chocolatey as they come. You might think beer is an odd ingredient in a cake, but in fact, the toasty chocolate and coffee undertones of stout (such as Guinness) make it an excellent choice for incorporating into chocolate flavoured baked goods.
Chocolate Stout Cake
Though I have cooked with beer, this was my first time baking with it. Did you know that beer works as a gentle leavening agent? The carbonation in the beer helps cakes, quick breads, and muffins rise high.
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this cake:
- Stout, I used Guinness.
- Molasses
- Semisweet chocolate, both for the cake and the ganache.
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa, not Dutch-processed.
- Baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Heavy cream for the chocolate ganache.
This chocolate bundt cake is not overly sweet. After your first couple of bites, you'll most likely detect a hint of bitterness from the stout and the dark chocolate. Topped with ganache, this stout spiked bundt cake becomes a decadent treat.
If you make this cake, you'll find it's moist, rich, dense and deeply chocolatey! If you have any leftovers, I recommend serving the cake slightly warmed. A few seconds in the microwave should do it.
If you're looking for more recipes to celebrate St-Patrick's Day, here's a flavourful recipe for Irish Soda Bread and another one for Irish Scones. Happy St-Patrick's Day!
Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1-1/4 cups stout I used Guinness (don’t include the foam when measuring)
- ⅓ cup dark molasses
- 6 oz. semisweet chocolate very finely chopped
- 1 - ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ; more for the pan not Dutch-processed
- 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter softened at room temperature; more for buttering the pan
- 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
For the chocolate ganache:
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 6 oz. semisweet chocolate
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan and lightly dust it with sifted cocoa powder. Tap out excess cocoa.
- Combine the stout and molasses in a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat and bring the stout and molasses to a simmer. Take the saucepan off the heat, add the chopped chocolate, stir the mixture and reserve.
- Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after each egg.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour and stout mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Make sure to stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl and then beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, and run a knife through the batter to eliminate air pockets.
- Bake cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. Let the cake cool until it's just slightly warm.
To make the ganache:
- Pour the heavy cream into small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate.
- Let the mixture stand for 1 minute and then stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Let the ganache cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour the warm ganache over the cake. Let cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- This cake can be made ahead, wrapped in plastic without the ganache and stored in the freezer for up to a month.
Nutrition
Angie
Thursday 17th of March 2016
That looks amazing!! Well now I want some chocolate :D
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Monday 21st of March 2016
Thank you Angie!
apuginthekitchen
Sunday 13th of March 2016
I have to make a guiness chocolate cake for St Patricks day. I love a good moist chocolate cake and this looks incredibly delciious.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Sunday 13th of March 2016
Thanks Suzanne, I would definitely recommend you give it a try, it was really moist and stayed that way for a few days!
J Seaton
Sunday 13th of March 2016
This looks amazing! So moist and so full of chocolate. Love it!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Sunday 13th of March 2016
Thank you, definitely one of the most intense chocolatey cake I've made!
Hilda
Sunday 13th of March 2016
With those ingredients, it has to be as delicious as it looks!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Sunday 13th of March 2016
Thank you Hilda, I have to say it's hard to go wrong with all that chocolate!
Sabrina
Saturday 12th of March 2016
This cake looks incredible!! I was actually just reading a chocolate stout cake recipe from the NYTimes today. I think it's a sign I have to make something like this too!!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Sunday 13th of March 2016
Oh, I'll have to take a look at the recipe, I like to compare recipes and see how they differ, sometimes a different ingredient can really change the flavour and texture of a cake!