chocolate stout cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 x 6 or 8 in cakes
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ c stout beer
  • 1½ c (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 c (115 g) dutch process cocoa, sifted
  • 3 c (360 g) all purpose flour
  • 3 c (600 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2¼ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup sour cream, at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 6 inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper then dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.
  2. Place the beer and butter in a saucepan and heat on medium heat until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the sifted cocoa powder until smooth. Pour into a large heatproof bowl and let cool.
  3. In a medium bowl sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until well combined, or about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute.
  6. Add the dry ingredients slowly and combine on low speed until blended, scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl then mix for another minute.
  7. Fill prepared pans ¾ full with batter, weighing if possible. If you use 6 inch pans you will have some batter left over. Place cake pans on middle oven rack abut about 2″ apart and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans, then bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about an additional 15 minutes.
  8. Let cakes cool on wire racks for about 10 minutes then run a knife around the edges to loosen and turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
  9. Assembly // level cakes if desired, then place one layer face up on a cake board or your serving plate/stand. Spread a layer of buttercream on the cake, then place the next layer on face down and press down gently to seal. Repeat, and place the remaining layer face down. Put the cake in the fridge for a few minutes for the buttercream to firm up, if necessary. Thinly ice the outside of the cake, scraping the excess buttercream off the edges with an offset palate knife or bench scraper. Smooth a layer of buttercream over the top of the cake, then put the cake in the fridge for another 15 minutes or so. Pour the ganache around the edge of the top layer. Pipe merengue on the top and toast with a kitchen torch.
Recipe by oh honey bakes at https://ohhoneybakes.com/chocolate-stout-speculoos-cake/