Chocolate Guinness Cake

Think of this surprisingly easy-to-make cake as the perfect Valentine’s meets St. Patrick’s Day dessert. Plus it’s chocolate, as moist as possible, with cream cheese frosting. At least I think I’m in love. That it’s originally from Nigella Lawson doesn’t hurt, either.

For the cake:

Butter for pan

1 c. Guinness stout (so some for you to drink, too)

10 Tbs. unsalted butter

Â¾ c. unsweetened cocoa

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

Â¾ c. sour cream

1 Tbs. vanilla

2 c. all-purpose flour

2Â½ tsps. baking soda

For the topping:

1Â¼ c. confectioner’s sugar

8 oz. cream cheese at room temp

Â½ c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a nine-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper or a circle cut from a paper shopping bag. In a large saucepan, combine the Guinness and butter over medium-low heat to melt the butter. Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the cocoa and sugar and whisk to blend. In a small bowl combine the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla; mix well, and then add this to the Guinness mixture. Add the flour and baking soda and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the buttered pan. Bake it until it’s risen and firm, 45 minutes to an hour. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. For the topping, use a food processor to mix the confectioner’s sugar (avoid lumps). Add the cream cheese; blend to smooth. Add cream and blend until the mixture is spreadable. Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a plate. Ice the top of the cake only, so it resembles a pint of Guinness and its foamy head.