Today, I’m excited to share with you this recipe for moist and delicious chocolate stout cake, which is one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes.
I got to make and serve this luscious chocolate Guinness cake to Anthony Bourdain, and it is the highlight of my professional cooking career.
Moist rich chocolate cake topped with barely sweet burnt caramel buttercream is a match made in heaven, and even though he was not a dessert lover, Anthony Bourdain said he enjoyed the cake.
I’ll take it.
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If you don’t want to read the Tony Bourdain story, click here to skip it.
Watch my best chocolate Guinness cake web story here.
The Time I Made This Cake for My Culinary Hero
In 2007, I was on the opening team at The Ravenous Pig, a gastropub in Winter Park, Florida.
One Saturday a month, we’d have a pig roast for lunch with a set menu including roasted pig (obviously), collards, cornbread, a pint of beer, and a small square of chocolate stout cake for dessert.
I was in charge of making the cornbread and the cake.
In March of 2008, we got wind that Anthony Bourdain would be the special celebrity guest at the Orlando Film Festival. We had already had a pig roast that month, but we decided to have another one specifically to lure him with the promise of whole pig with all the fixin’s.
It worked, too.
He showed up with a group of folks, including his then-infant daughter in a car seat.
We served his table family style, with large platters of pork and sides as well as a few extras like our house-made charcuterie (yes, Rhys Gawlak. Yes.)
I asked our chef/owner if I could please serve the dessert to their table, and he said yes. Huzzah!
I cut squares of the cake–dense, rich chocolate stout cake skimmed with barely sweet dark caramel buttercream–placed them on a serving platter, and took them to the table.
I stood right next to Anthony Bourdain, and said that I’d brought dessert and I would love for him to try a piece of the cake.
He said he really wasn’t too much into sweets, but I declared the cake to be magic. I touched him on the shoulder.
He took a bite. The man who had eaten his way around the world, dining in Michelin-starred restaurants and people’s homes in the poorest parts of the world, and accepted all he was served with grace and gratitude, ate the chocolate stout cake I made.
And declared it delicious.
And he signed my copy of his book.
Once he and his entourage finished eating, he then took the time to come back to the kitchen and talk to all of us for a few minutes. He told Rhys his Bratwurst was really fucking good.
That’s the highest praise anyone in the restaurant business can get.
That their food is really fucking good.
I know I didn’t have a personal friendship with Anthony Bourdain. I know he probably didn’t spare any of us much of a thought after he left the restaurant, but we were all such fans. And his taking the time to hang out with us meant the world.
So, in honor of what would have been Anthony Bourdain’s birthday, June 25, I offer this chocolate stout cake.
It’s really fucking good.
Does Stout Really Make a Difference?
Yes, the stout Most Definitely Does Something. Do you guys remember the Maillard Love Story I wrote awhile back?
Well, it was all about why chocolate and coffee go so well together. You might as well just throw stout into that story and make it a Manage a Trois.
Stout goes so well with both chocolate and coffee because it is based on roasted grain–deep, caramelized, malty goodness.
As we know coffee beans and cocoa beans are roasted as well. These three flavors have a natural affinity for each other because they share a lot of flavor compounds.
What stout tends to do in a cake is
- reinforce the chocolatey goodness of the cake, turning it more fudgy
- It can also give just a slightly bitter edge, cutting the sweetness of the cake by just a hair.
In layman’s terms, and to channel Martha just a bit, “Stout in chocolate cake? It’s a Very Good Thing.”
Yes, You Can Make This Cake Without a Mixer
For real. Stand mixers are great to have, but you absolutely don’t need one to make this Guinness cake.
All you need are a couple of different bowls for mixing Various Components, a rubber spatula, and a whisk.
Here’s the procedure for making this cake. If I had to categorize it as a particular mixing method, chocolate stout cake is made using the dissolved sugar method, which is the same method used in my Halloween chocolate cake.
The Ingredients
The ingredients are pretty straightforward. Aside from the stout, you may already have everything you need:
- all-purpose flour: provides the structure for the cake. I wouldn’t use cake flour here, as the cake is already really moist. If you use cake flour, I think the cake would break apart
- white sugar: for sweetness and moisture
- brown sugar: for sweetness, depth, and moisture
- cocoa powder: provides the chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is, ounce per ounce, more chocolatey than chocolate since it is made up almost entirely of cacao and has relatively little fat, no sugar, and no dairy in it
- espresso powder or instant coffee: underscores the chocolate flavor
- baking powder: for rise
- baking soda: to balance the acid in the brown sugar (molasses) and the beer
- salt: counteracts any bitterness from the stout and cocoa and brings all the flavors into focus
- butter: (not pictured) provides fat to carry flavor and tenderize the crumb
- eggs: adds structure, moisture, richness, and emulsifiers
- stout: the liquid in the cake. Adds depth of flavor and subtle maltiness
- vanilla: rounds out the chocolate and beer flavors
- sour cream: adds a touch of mellowness, a bit of extra fat, and milk solids to up the protein a bit. You can also use creme fraiche or Greek yogurt.
Making Chocolate Stout Cake, Step by Step
Note, this cake is made using the dissolved sugar method. It’s a safe bet that any cake that relies on hot liquid as part of the ingredients is made by the same method.
- Heat the beer and the butter until butter is melted.
- Add vanilla. (And salt)
- Add espresso powder.
- Add the sugars.
- Sift in the cocoa powder
- Whisk until smooth.
- Whisk the eggs and sour cream together.
- Stir that into the chocolate stout mixture.
- Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Whisk together until almost completely smooth.
- Pour/scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- If using a push pan, set your pan on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven.
- Let it cool for a few minutes in the pan.
- Run a spatula around the inside of the pan to make sure the sides aren’t sticking. Set the pan on top of a small container of some kind–I used a glass, but a small bowl would work too.
- Press the sides of the pan down.
- Slide cake off the base and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold.
Jenni Says: To turn this into a stout layer cake, feel free to bake in 2 8″ or 9″ pans, or you can cut this one thick layer in half horizontally once it cools completely.
Why Refrigerate a Hot Cake?
As a cake cools, some of the liquid evaporates. And that can lead to a dry cake.
Wrapping a hot cake tightly in plastic wrap keeps all the moisture in the cake where it belongs. Tada!
Another Frosting Option
If the burnt caramel buttercream seems too rich and not sweet enough, I have the perfect frosting for you.
My fluffy caramel frosting is a bit sweeter, doesn’t contain eggs, making it lighter, and is delicious to eat off a spoon.
A Note About Measurements
This is the kitchen scale that I recommend for home cooks and bakers. Using a scale will help you be more accurate and consistent in your measurements.
It is lightweight, easy to store, accurate, and very easy to use.
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
Chocolate Stout Cake Q & A
Here are answers to some questions you might have when making this cake. I hope you find them helpful.
If I’ve missed anything, feel free to email me. I’m happy to help!
Guinness and Murphy’s, both Irish stouts, are great choices for making a stout cake. But with the proliferation of craft breweries in this country, your choices are almost limitless. Consider a milk stout, which is nice and creamy.
Stout really is the best choice, but if you can’t find any, you could also use a dark porter.
If you don’t want to use beer, substitute a cup of strong coffee. You can leave out the espresso powder unless you want the cake to be more of a mocha cake. It won’t have quite the complexity of a stout cake, but it will still be one excellent chocolate cake.
Yes. Freeze it before you frost it. It will already be wrapped in plastic wrap from cooling it, so you can then wrap it in foil and freeze it for 4-6 weeks.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.
You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.
If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.
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Thank you so much for being here and for helping others find my recipes by sharing on your social platforms!
And to Anthony Bourdain, I am so sad you are gone, but I am so grateful you were here.
Chocolate Stout Cake Recipe
Rich, moist chocolate stout cake made with white and brown sugar, chocolate stout beer and a touch of espresso powder is the best.
Ingredients
- 1 cup stout or other dark, malty beer
- 8 oz. butter (2 sticks)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. plus 2 TBSP sour cream or creme fraiche
- 2 cups all purpose flour (9 oz)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Instructions
- Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F.
- Line the bottom of a 9" x 3" push pan or springform pan with a circle of parchment. Spray the parchment and the sides of the pan with pan spray. Set aside.
- Put the stout and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the butter is melted. Stir and let cool slightly.
- Whisk together the eggs and sour cream. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Sift the cocoa powder into the stout mixture and whisk until combined and smooth.
- Whisk in the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, the vanilla, salt, and espresso powder (if using).
- Add the egg/sour cream mixture, and whisk well.
- Dump in the flour mixture and whisk/stir until mostly smooth. A few tiny little lumps are okay.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, carefully rotating the pan after 30 minutes if your oven has hot spots.
- The cake is done when the top springs back when gently pressed, when the sides are just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and when the internal temperature of the cake reaches 200F.
- Remove to cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
- Turn the cake out (or take of the sides or push down the sides, depending on your pan), and wrap well in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the cake until cold.
- Torte (split the layer in two) if desired and frost with dark caramel buttercream.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, but let the cake return to room temperature for serving so the frosting and cake will have the best texture.
Notes
You can also make this cake in 2 9" x 2" pans if you'd like to make a classic layer cake without having to torte your layers.
Nutrition information is calculated for 1/16 of the cake without frosting.
Q & A
What’s the best stout to use?
Guinness and Murphy’s, both Irish stouts, are great choices for making a stout cake. But with the proliferation of craft breweries in this country, your choices are almost limitless. Consider a milk stout, which is nice and creamy. We used Left Hand Milk Stout back when I made this for the restaurant. For this particular cake, I chose BearWaters Brewing Heavy Cream Stout, a North Carolina beer with a low ABV of 5%. This stout also features notes of espresso and chocolate, which made it perfect in the stout cake.
What other kind of beer can I use?
Stout really is the best choice, but if you can’t find any, you could also use a dark porter. Stay away from hoppy beer like an IPA. It’ll make the cake read as bitter.
I don’t drink beer. What can I use instead?
If you don’t want to use beer, substitute a cup of strong coffee. You can leave out the espresso powder unless you want the cake to be more of a mocha cake. It won’t have quite the complexity of a stout cake, but it will still be one excellent chocolate cake.
Can I freeze my chocolate stout cake?
Yes. Freeze it before you frost it. It will already be wrapped in plastic wrap from cooling it, so you can then wrap it in foil and freeze it for 4-6 weeks.
What frosting goes best with stout cake?
I have seen stout cake served with everything from just a dusting of powdered sugar to chocolate frosting to whipped cream to cream cheese frosting to Bailey’s frosting. Any of those options will work just fine. I do encourage you to make the dark caramel buttercream that I developed especially to serve with this cake. The frosting by itself is not very sweet and doesn’t necessarily inspire bowl-licking, but on this cake, it is heavenly.
Frosting Options
I developed the burnt caramel buttercream specifically to go with this cake. You can find that recipe here.
For a more "approachable" buttercream, consider making my fluffy caramel frosting. You can find that recipe here.
Or let the cake do all the heavy lifting and frost with a creamy, not-too-sweet ermine frosting, which is more widely known as red velvet cake frosting. It also happens to be one of my favorite frostings for any chocolate cake.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 304Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 57mgSodium 303mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 1gSugar 24gProtein 4g
The stated nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It is calculated through third party software and is intended as a guideline only.
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And there you have it, friends. An exceptional chocolate stout cake recipe. Truly.
Thank you for spending some time with me today. Take care, and have a lovely day.
Brian J. Geiger says
I didn’t read through the NYTimes recipe that I linked to on my site, but I know in Feast that she uses a cream cheese frosting rather than whipped cream. Your buttercream does look tasty, but I will say that the cream cheese frosting is one of the few that I will actually eat. Normally I ditch whatever frosting there may be.
onlinepastrychef says
Oh, Brian, I adore cream cheese frosting. Really I do! So, as one cream cheese frosting lover to another, I *implore* you to try this buttercream. I rarely implore, but there you have it. And I do agree, it is the best chocolate cake in the world! 😀
Brian J. Geiger says
Oh, and yes, the Chocolate Stout Cake is clearly the Greatest Cake in the World.
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says
Your Burnt Caramel Buttercream sounds simply amazing! I have to try it! I really need to make this cake with Guinness. It’s sounds too good not to try!
Niko says
OMG, awesome post on so many points. Just for that, I’m going to try making the Stout Cake! and probably even the Caramel buttercream — now that I’ve fully recovered from self-inflicted burns drizzling hot sugar on croquembouche for the Xmas party.
This past weekend I made the Chocolate Swooning Cake using the creaming method with 1/3 oil and 2/3 butter. Also, I dissolved the baking soda in the coffee as Brian suggested. The cake was definitely stronger this time (not so tender but it was brownie-like when cold and how bad is that?) and the middle did not cave in. I split the layers and filled two with some sour cherry/raspberry jam and the main with your Crazy Good Mascarpone (spiked with Kahlua instead of Grand Marnier), poured bittersweet ganache and scattered cocoa nibs on top. Your lessons here truly helped make this cake a success.
onlinepastrychef says
Oh my God, Niko–your cake sounds awesome! Swooning cake?! And jam?! And the mascarpone?! Yowza 😀
One question: when do Brian and I get our honorary slice? 😉 😆
groovyoldlady says
Oh dear…the cake sounds lovely, but the frosting sounds a bit daring for someone who is easily…wait! Look! Is that a bunny?
Connie Lawless says
What is another frosting you like? We can’t use corn syrup.
onlinepastrychef says
Hi, Connie. I’ve heard that cream cheese frosting goes nicely with this cake, too. I’d use equal parts cream cheese and butter, pinch of salt, powdered sugar to your desired sweetness/consistency and a splash each of vanilla extract and coffee liqueur.
D.P. says
I knew there was a reason I loved you in college……It was for this eventual post!!!!!
onlinepastrychef says
Love you, too, Don:) I hope you make this cake–it is Ridiculous. Seriously. 😀
Natashya says
Sounds wonderful! Please send me one. Or two. 🙂
Katherine says
I haven’t had stout cake but it sure sounds amazing! The icing does sounds labor intenstive, but I bet it’s worth the work!
croquecamille says
Mmmmm… burnt caramel buttercream. *drooling*
ChefBliss says
Love it!! This weekend I was able to try stout brittle (absolutely delicious!) and stout chocolate cake. I’m a convert!! Great post!
onlinepastrychef says
One by one, ALL will be converted, ChefBliss 😆 Now, about this stout brittle?! Wow–I could probably eat about a ton of that!
Tangled Noodle says
First of all, Nigella has nothing on you, dear! Second, I’m making this cake even if it means snitching the last of the Chocolate Stout in the fridge. I think Mr. Noodle will find it a fair trade. 😎
Susan at Sticky,Gooey,Creamy,Chewy says
I’ve been seeing a lot of baked goods using stout lately. I must be missing something, because everyone raves about them. Something new I must try! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
onlinepastrychef says
Susan: Yes, you really must try. It’s that good. 😀
Marc @ NoRecipes says
Mmmm I’ve made the Nigella one on many occasions. Will have to give yours a go. Your buttercream sounds mind-blowing!
Daily Spud says
Stout cake, stout toffee sauce, pints of stout… Guinness seems good for just about everything! 🙂
Jude says
Incidentally, one of my favorite beers is also a chocolate stout. This sounds like my kind of cake.
Chocolate Kisses says
Great blog btw. I always love glancing and reading food blogs and when I find one that’s got great photography I stick around or else I’m out of there. This blog is def a keeper!
Sebastian.
Calandro_lopes says
sounds very nice indeed, i’l try to do it with my husband
onlinepastrychef says
Oh, I hope you do! It’s very tasty and def not for kids! 🙂
Annapet says
Ha, my friend Jenni is making me do math AGAIN! Thanks for this recipe 😉 I willed myself to pop open the laptop (I have been so behind reading blogs!
onlinepastrychef says
Just for you, I quartered the icing, had tons to ice the top and sides (I didn’t torte) and still have about 1 1/2 cups left over.
Here’s the math:)
4 oz egg yolk (about 8)
5.25 oz sugar
5.85 oz corn syrup
1 pound butter, cool but soft, in pieces
salt (more than you think necessary–for me, about 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, give or take)
2 teaspoons espresso powder
🙂
Terra says
I am the worst with making caramel, it is on my bucket list….well if it isn’t, I need to add it! But I love the idea of a burnt caramel buttercream, it sounds really fantastic! Thank you for sharing your little secret:-) The cake looks so moist and amazing! Hugs, Terra
onlinepastrychef says
You should definitely make some caramel, Terra! Taking it really, really dark is almost as dare-devily as sky diving. Almost. 🙂
CharlesR57 says
Hi:
I cannot have anything that is a beer or ale.
Could you help me with a substitute.
Charlie
onlinepastrychef says
I would leave out the espresso powder (if using) and substitute coffee for the beer. I think that would be a very tasty substitute, and the frosting pairing would still work well.
CharlesR57 says
Thanks so much.
I knew the minute I saw this I needed to make it.
Charlie
onlinepastrychef says
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it–let me know how it turns out if you get a sec, okay? 🙂
beginner101 says
What kind of cocoa powder to you use and what kind of chocolate do you recommend?
onlinepastrychef says
I use Pernigotti cocoa powder–nice and dark! But I’ve had this made w/”regular” Hershey’s or Nestle, and while not as dark, it is still very chocolatey and delightful! As to chocolate for baking, I like something semi-sweet to bittersweet, and one that you like the flavor of “straight.” Callebaut makes very good and easily-found options–at Whole Foods or online. 🙂
Betty Ann @Mango_Queen says
Oh my goodness, I saw this cake a couple of months ago. And I thought I left a comment. This is so good. I must make it. And if I don’t have the “stout” what do you suggest?
onlinepastrychef says
You could use any beer that’s not too hoppy. You could also leave out the espresso powder and substitute coffee for the stout. But, if you can swing it, use something w/alcohol in it, because I think it brings out the alcohol soluble flavors in the chocolate, making the whole shebang more complex. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong though, BA. This is a seriously good cake!
Alice D'Antoni Phillips says
Damn, Jenni…this is fabulous!!! Want and will make!! xo
onlinepastrychef says
You won’t be sorry! Seriously, Ally–this thing is The Best. 🙂
Jane says
What a wonderful experience and this recipe is remarkable. I can’t wait to make it!!
Jennifer Field says
Thanks, Jane. I hope you make it to celebrate one of your Chocolate Mondays!
Stacy says
You touched HIM! I love this story, Jenni, and I can see why that cake is magic. I didn’t realize that June 25th is now Bourdain Day but I will add it to my calendar for next year. What a great idea to celebrate his life. I miss him.
Jennifer Field says
Eric Ripert and Jose Andres came up with the idea just a couple of months ago. I am All In! 🙂
Jamie says
The cake looks absolutely divine and what a story … what an experience, one that will forever make this cake taste richer and more magical every time you make it.
Jennifer Field says
Yes, absolutely. I don’t make this cake too often anymore, but I will always associate it with Anthony Bourdain. xo
Jenny Richert says
Phenomenal with a capital PH!!! Made this at night and shared with our neighbors at coffee alfresco the next morning. They raved about this cake. It’s so moist with a nice soft chewiness. I will be working on this to get better at it. Some things I did (or didn’t) do:
1. My springform pan is meh so I got quite a but of crispiness on the rounded edges and top. The middle was done but sank a bit creating a bowl for some yummy frosting. Since the cake was refrigerated, I took my serrated knife and carved away the crispy parts. It was quite satisfying to shape the lovely cake. I did not tart it because the middle was sunk in a bit.
2. I frosted just the single layer with a beautiful simple homemade buttercream frosting. Added a little chocolate caramel syrup (for coffee) to the frosting toward the end of mixing for a cool mocha looking tint. Didn’t have time for the burnt caramel frosting (excuses).
3. I love cold moist cake. This is the perfect fit. I frosted after refrigerating overnight. I also didn’t overdo it with frosting. This cake needs to be the star of the show.
Amazing stuff!!! Thanks for the recipe which is now being requested by the neighbors for BBQ get-togethers!!!
Jennifer Field says
Best review ever! I’m so glad everyone loved it! I hope you do try the caramel buttercream at some point. It is truly perfect with the cake, but your coffee syrup buttercream is an inspired pairing!
Abigail Wenderson says
Wow, this cake looks delicious. I look forward to trying this soon.
Jennifer Field says
I hope you enjoy it! Please get in touch if you have any questions!
Anna says
I’m very excited to try this cake! Please let me know how to adjust temperature and baking time if using 2 9-in pans instead of a springform pan. The recipe sounds so good, I don’t wanna mess this up!
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Anna! You should be able to bake in 2 pans without any issues. My guess is baking time will be reduced by maybe 15 minutes, but that’s also oven-dependent. Look for the cake to spring back when you touch the top and that the edges are just beginning to shrink away from the sides of the pan. If you have an instant-read thermometer, shoot for 195-200F in the center of the cakes. I hope you enjoy!
Lauren says
Hi! I want to make this cake for my birthday with the burnt caramel buttercream! Does this cake do well as a layer cake with thinner layers instead of one thick layer? I would like to do 2-3 layers of 6 inch cake. If it translates to a layer cake, should I half the cake and buttercream recipe to get a good ratio? Thanks for any help, I can’t wait to try this combo!
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Lauren! Yes, you can absolutely turn this into a layer cake. If you have 3 6″ pans, you can divide it into thirds and bake all at one time. I would make the same amount of buttercream since you’ll have to use at least 1/2 cup to fill each layer before frosting the whole thing.
I really hope you love it. This is one of my favorite cakes, and the frosting is perfect with it! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I want your birthday cake to turn out perfectly! 🙂