Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream
Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream features an easy, fudgy, and moist cocoa cake with Guinness beer and thick creamy and sweet Irish cream buttercream. The perfect St. Patrick’s Day cake!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (222 grams) all-purpose flour,
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (64 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt, (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup fresh vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Guinness beer
- 4 sticks (454 grams) unsalted butter, (at cool room temperature)
- 6 cups (750 grams) powdered sugar, (sifted)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Irish cream, (such as Bailey’s)
- 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- sprinkles or chocolate curls for topping, (optional)
Directions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 8-inch wide x 3-inch deep cake pans and line with parchment paper rounds.
- 2
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then the Irish cream. Beat the mixture on high speed until very light, fluffy, and smooth, about 3 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash more Irish cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- 3
Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Frost the top of the cake generously, as this will become the filling. Use even more if you're decorating as a 'naked' cake as shown in the photos. Top with the other cake layer, flat side up.
- 4
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small pan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer then immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate. You can also do this in the microwave. Cover for a few minutes then stir until smooth.