Here at Turn Key, we love a good cake and we’re very lucky to have an expert baker in the team. Our very talented Business Manager, Vikki , is a dab hand in the kitchen and is always bringing in sweet treats for us to try. As it is National Baking Week , we thought it would be a fantastic opportunity for her to share one of her favourite recipes – enjoy!
When I heard that National Baking Week was coming up, being slightly obsessed with my old faithful Hummingbird Bakery book, it seemed only right that I should get my bake on!
I chose the Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe which just so happens to be my personal favourite. It’s a little bit special, easy to make and delicious with a nice large glass of Malbec (the wine of course is optional but highly recommended)!
I’ve made this cake four or five times now but we still can’t get enough. It certainly went down a treat with my boyfriend’s brother, Callum and his girlfriend, Ailish.
At first glance it may just appear to be a chocolate cake, but after one bite you can definitely taste the not-so-secret ingredient. The cake is so dark in colour and moist, like the body of Guinness, and the icing is white and sweet like the head – pure genius!
So all you chocolate and Guinness lovers out there, this is one cake you are going to want to try. Here’s how to make it yourselves:
Ingredients
For the cake:
250ml (9fl oz) Guinness
250g unsalted butter
80g (3oz) cocoa powder
400g (14oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
140ml (5fl oz) buttermilk
280g (10oz) plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp baking powder
For the frosting:
50g (1 ¾ oz) unsalted butter softened
300g (10 ½ oz) icing sugar
125g (4 ½ oz) full fat cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)
Cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
You’ll also need one 23cm (9 inch) diameter spring form cake tin – I recommend the silicone ones!
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 170°C (325 F) or gas mark 3 and lightly grease your baking tin/silicone mould.
Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add butter, heat gently until the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar & cocoa powder. In a jug, mix together the eggs, vanilla essence and buttermilk and slowly add to the mixture. Sift the remaining cake ingredients (flour, bicarb and baking soda) into a large bowl or freestanding electric mixer. Using a paddle attachment or handheld whisk, set on a low speed and add the contents of the pan and mix thoroughly.
Pour your batter mix into the prepared cake tin/mould and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, use an electric whisk or freestanding mixer to create the frosting. Mix the butter and icing sugar together until there are no lumps and it’s fully combined (should be a sand-like texture). Add the cream cheese and mix on a low-medium speed and beat until it’s a light and fluffy texture.
Once the cake is baked & cooled top with your cream cheese frosting and decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder – delish!