Chocolate Beer Cake

[mixbrewery]

Chocolate Beer Cake

Do not use cheap rubbish cocoa powder or chocolate.
The good quality stuff really goes well with the beer.

For the cake
2 oz (50g) cocoa powder(good quality)
7 floz (200ml) homemade chocolate stout
4 oz (110g) very soft butter
10 oz (275g) dark soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
6oz (160g) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the icing
4 oz (110g) icing sugar, sifted
2 oz (50g) very soft butter
2 tablespoon stout
4oz (110g) good quality dark chocolate (min 50-55% cocoa solids)
Optional
1 oz (25g) finely chopped walnut pieces

Walnut halves to decorate and dusted with cocoa powder

Method

You will need two 8 inch (20cm) sponge tins, 1 1/2 inches (4cm) deep,
Lightly greased and the bases lined with lightly greased baking parchment.

Preheat oven to gas mark 4, 350 F (180 C)

First, cream the butter and sugar together, beating thoroughly for 3/4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Now gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition.
Next, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a seperate bowl.
Then weigh the cocoa into another bowl and gradually stir in the stout.
Now carefully and lightly fold alternate small quantities of the sifted flour and the cocoa/stout liquid into the egg/butter mixture.
When these have all been added, divide the cake mixture equally into the two sponge tins and level out.

Bake the sponges in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes.
They should be flat on top and feel springy and will have shrunk slightly from the side of the tin.
Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool further.
Carefully strip off the base papers.

To make the icing.
Beat the icing sugar and butter together until well blended.
Then gradually add the stout, making sure it is thoroughly mixed.
Now melt the chocolate in bowl set over hot water.
When its melted, removed bowl from water and carefully fold chocolate into the icing mixture.

Take roughly a third of the icing and stir in the chopped nuts (if used).
Now let the mixtures cool to a spreadable but not runny consistency.
Use the nut mixture to sandwich the two cakes together.
Use the remaining icing on the top.
Decorate with walnut halves and dust with cocoa powder.

Enjoy!

[Buzz]

Thanks MB, will definitely try this once the brew is sorted.

[roger the dog]

SWMBO made this yesterday MB & it's lovely ! Smells a bit funny though - I'm putting that down to my stout

Thanks for the post