Spilt Pint of Guinness Cake
This cake was a personal request from my friend’s parents, as it’s a favourite of theirs. My go-to recipe has always been Nigella Lawson’s Guinness Cake, but I wanted to put my own spin on it. By infusing the Guinness with cardamom and adding coffee, I’ve tried to draw out the key flavours of the stout. I’ve also added Guinness to the icing, giving it the look and taste of a pint’s frothy head. The icing sets just enough to create the “spilt pint” effect if it drips down the sides.
Serves 14-16
Hands-on Time 20 minutes (plus cooling)
Baking Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
350g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
50g cocoa powder (plus 2 tsp for dusting)
250ml Guinness (plus 2 tbsp for icing)
3 cardamom pods
150g dark chocolate (70%)
350g caster sugar
2 large eggs
300g self-raising flour
1 tbsp instant coffee powder (fine)
Pinch of salt
150ml soured cream
100g full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
250g icing sugar
Equipment
Scissors
Baking parchment
23cm deep-sided fixed-bottom or springform cake tin
Small saucepan
Spatula
Large bowl
Electric or hand whisk
Wide bowl
Sieve
Wire rack
Method
1. Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Prepare the cake tin
Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the base of the tin.
Grease the tin with butter, line with parchment, and grease again.
Dust with 2 tsp cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
3. Make the Guinness mixture
In a small saucepan, heat the Guinness and cardamom pods over low heat.
Add 250g butter and stir until melted.
Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted. Let cool.
4. Prepare the cake batter
In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs for 5 minutes until pale and thick.
Sieve the flour, coffee powder, 50g cocoa powder, and salt into a wide bowl.
Remove the cardamom pods from the Guinness mixture and stir in the soured cream.
Gently fold the Guinness mixture into the egg mixture.
Fold in the dry ingredients in thirds until just combined.
5. Bake the cake
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
Bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes.
Let cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Make the icing
In a clean large bowl, whisk 100g butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add the icing sugar and whisk gently.
Stir in 2 tbsp Guinness and whisk until combined.
7. Assemble the cake
Spoon the icing over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip slightly over the edges.
Chill in the fridge to set the icing, ideally overnight.
Enjoy!
