CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CAKE WITH IRISH BUTTERCREAM

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Guinness or dark stout or porter, room temperature
• 17 tablespoons butter (I used Kerrygold Irish butter, that's 2 sticks, plus one tablespoon)
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used organic Dutch processed cocoa)
• 2 cups sugar (I used all natural cane sugar, superfine or regular ok)
• ⅔ cup sour cream (full fat - see note on baking with beer)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (try my bourbon vanilla extract)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

IRISH CREAM BUTTERCREAM

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened (I used salted butter)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Irish Cream liquor (or if desired, replace with heavy cream, whole milk or half & half)
• 1 tsp espresso powder (optional, but yummy)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and butter, dust and line a 10" springform baking pan
2. Pour the Guinness (or other dark beer) into a large saucepan, adding the butter cut into slices. Heat until butter is melted. Once melted, whisk in cocoa powder and sugar, whisking gently until incorporated and dissolved. Beat the sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl until creamy and smooth. Pour into the buttery beer batter, whisking until smooth. Finally, whisk in flour and baking soda. DO NOT OVERMIX, mix until combined, might be a few lumps and that's okay.
3. Pour batter into greased and lined springform pan, if pan is really full, place on half sheet pan to protect the oven from spillage (see post for details). Bake on center rack in middle of oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove once toothpick inserted comes out without crumbs.
4. Allow to cool completely in the spring form pan on a cooling rack, once cooled, cake may be wrapped and frozen until ready to frost.

Irish Cream Buttercream

Add softened butter to bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer) fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With mixer on low or stir, slowly add powdered sugar, beat on low speed until mixed into butter, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute, scrape down sides.

Add in sea salt, vanilla and Irish Cream or Bourbon Cream (substitute with heavy cream, milk or half and half and try a teaspoon of espresso powder), beating on low speed until combined, then increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, stop and scrape down sides once or twice.
Frost cooled cake, if not eating right away. Store covered in fridge until ready to eat, bring to room temperature before serving.