Chocolate Guinness Cake

Thanks to one of our favorite cooking blogs, Simply Recipes, for this fantastic recipe. I've made only very slight changes, as it was wonderful as it was in the original. What could be more perfect for St. Patrick's Day than a cake made with Ireland's favorite beer? The cake is moist and rich, with an old-fashioned texture.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Ingredients

1 c. Guinness (or other Stout variety)
10 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 T pure vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2  t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cream cheese frosting recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 8 or 9-inch springform pan with butter or cooking spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

In a large saucepan place the beer and butter. Place over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the cocoa powder and sugars and whisk together. Take off heat and allow to come to room temperature.

In another bowl beat together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract until fluffy and somewhat homogenized. Add to the butter and beer mixture and whisk together.

In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the beer-butter mixture and whisk together until it just comes together. Pour into the prepared pan and give the pan a few short drops onto the counter to shake the larger air pockets in the batter to the surface and out of the cake. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Touch the center of the cake lightly to test doneness before testing with a skewer or it may cave in. If it doesn't bounce back to a light touch give it another five minutes or so before testing again.

Allow to cool on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan and pop the ring off the springform. Leave the cake on the pan bottom when placing it on the serving plate. If the pan bottom tends to slip around on the plate use paper doilies under it to minimize the slipping.

Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cooled cake and serve.

Makes one 8 or 9-inch cake