As in...made with a good quality "black beer" - You can use a Guinness Extra Stout...I use a Highland Brewing Mocha Stout, it has a bit stronger chocolate note. Regardless - you will find this cake to have big bold savory flavors of caramel, chocolate, coffee and a deep malty tone from the beer. I wasn't sure that this qualified more as a dessert or a "baked cocktail"...
It is a dense - yet very moist cake.
Here is the recipe for a single bundt pan:
Pre-heat oven to 350F - make sure you have a rack in the center of the oven.
Spray bundt pan well with Baker's Joy or comparable non-stick product.
You need-
8 oz. Mocha Stout Beer
1 cup ( 2 sticks ) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa ( I use the extra dark from Hershey )
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar ( dark brown has nice molasses add...but use what you have )
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3/4-1 tsp salt
2/3 cup sour cream
1 Tbs instant coffee crystals
DO NOT use a high speed mixer on this recipe. It entrains air too easily - and will make one "mell of a hess" in your oven if you trap a lot of air in it.
Heat the beer and butter to a simmer in a pot - then when the butter is dissolved - slowly add/whisk in the cocoa powder. Mix it thoroughly - you want it to be a smooth mixture.
Allow it to cool while you do the following step.
Put egg and sour cream in another bowl and whisk until smooth.
In a third ( LARGE ) bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt and instant coffee- mix together well.
Now - add the beer, butter and cocoa bowl and the egg/sour cream mixture together. Mix until uniform.
Next - FOLD together the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix it together with a rubber spatula until all the dry ingredients are just wetted out, with no dry lumps. That is enough. Stop it! Do not keep mxing!!!!
Pour mixture into bundt pan. Place on center rack and bake for approx. 1 hour. Test with tooth pick for doneness. Remove and Allow to cool while you make the icing. The recipe for it is:
2 shots of of Godiva Cappuccino Liqueur...( and 2 more for the icing...
) This is optional of course
2 cups Whipping Cream
1 pound of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp Instant coffee crystals
(Now is probably a good time to turn the cake over onto a cooling rack while you are cooking the icing.)
Heat the whipping cream to a simmer while stirring. You want it hot but not scorched. Remove from heat - and add in the chocolate chips, and coffee. Mix until completely smooth. After it cools down for 15 minutes or so - add the cappuccino liqueur if you like. If this thins the icing too much for your liking - add 1 tsp of corn starch and mix well Once the icing is at room temp - or close - you can adjust the viscosity with more chocolate chips or corn starch - or on liqueur.
If you have a squeeze bottle - you may want to put the icing in it - and drizzle it on this way. Easier to control. I am not bid icing consumer - but like a little sweetness to compliment the big savory and very slightly sweet flavors in this cake.
Enjoy!
