Found a great Irish recipe last week. Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake.

[1monster]

Enjoy!

Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake

Drizzling Syrup

1/3 cup Guinness Stout
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake

2/3 cup Guinness Stout (measured after foam has subsided)
2/3 cup currants
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces semi sweet chocolate cut into small pieces
3/4 cup of buttermilk
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
2/3 cup butter softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red currant jelly warmed
Bittersweet icing
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. To prepare syrup, combine all ingredients in a small, heavy saucepan, whisking until smooth. Heat over medium heat, until sugar dissolves and syrup is smooth.

2. To prepare cake, pour stout over currants; cover and soak until plump.

3. Drain currants reserving stout. Add stout to a small saucepan. Whisk in 1/3 cup of cocoa and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; add semi sweet chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Cool slightly. Stir in buttermilk.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F.

5. Combine 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Coat 2 eight-inch or 9-inch square pans with cooking spray; dust with cocoa mixture.

6. Beat butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 1 3/4 cup sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

7. Combine 2 cups flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. (Batter may look curdled.) Stir in currants.

8. Divide batter between two pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool pans on a wire rack ten minutes. Invert on to wire rack.

9. Poke tops of cake layers with a skewer or toothpick. Spoon drizzling syrup over the tops. Place one layer on a platter. Spread warmed currant jelly over the layer on the platter. Chill 30 minutes. Cover the jelly with about a quarter of the bittersweet icing. Place second layer over the top.

10. Ice top and sides of the cake with remaining icing. Press nuts into the sides of the cake.
Serves 16.

Per serving: 460 calories, 26 grams of fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 7 grams protein, 52 grams carbohydrates. 2 grams fiber, 230 mg sodium

Bittersweet Icing

Boil the cream and melt the chocolate a day ahead to allow plenty of time for the mixture to chill. Once the cake is iced, keep it cool.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Bring cream to a boil. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour boiling cream over it, and whisk until chocolate melts and is thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and chill. Chill beater from a hand-held mixer at the same time.
2. Up to three hours before serving the cake, whip the chocolate mixture with a hand-held mixer. When soft peaks form, sift in confectioner’s sugar and cocoa and add vanilla and salt. Continue whipping until combined.

[hippywife]

1. Someone gave me that recipe

a couple of years ago. I've never made it because it seems too involved. I don't have that much time (or patience) evenings and weekends to dedicate to just one cake, ya know? :hi:

[1monster]

2. I haven't made it yet myself, but I do plan to one of these days. I will consider it an

edible artistic endevor...

Years and years ago (before marriage and kids ate up all of my time), I created a cake recipe (could be yellow or chocolate) that was extremely rich, moist, and heavy so that it could be cut into any shape and made into special designs for for parties and such. I made cars, space ships (USS ENTERPRISE), trains, dolphins, and others.

I don't remember if I ever wrote it down, but I could probably figure it out again if I really wanted to, but it had eight eggs, heavy whipping cream and lots of butter in it and cream cheese frosting. I probably should have had a serving option that included a triple bypass op with it, but I was very young then and never really thought of those things then. :D

It probably took as long to make as that Guiness cake would, but it was sure worth the effort.

[hippywife]

3. I would consider making it

for a special occasion or maybe if I was getting paid. :rofl:

It really does sound incredible, tho. Let us know how it turns out if you do.