- can be cut into 12 generous slices - Ready to eat in 3 hours (it takes ages to cook!) -
This cake does NOT look like a showstopper - it inevitably sinks in the middle, cracks on top and appears burnt around the edges (it's not burnt, it is just naturally a gloriously rich Guinness-y colour). It does however taste AMAZING (an intense chocolate hit, yet neither bitter nor sickly) and if you bake it for a chocolate-lover then they will think that you are amazing.
Gather together…
150g dark cooking-chocolate - 'cooking-chocolate' melts far more easily than regular chocolate and is much less likely to shock and split. Sainsbury's own-brand cooking chocolate is sold in foil and card (so is plastic-free), Green & Black's cooking chocolate is plastic-free AND palm oil-free, but is too pricey for me to use regularly.
225g butter, roughly grated (to ensure it is soft enough).
350g soft, dark brown sugar.
4 large (or 5 medium) eggs, lightly beaten.
225g plain flour.
½ tsp baking powder.
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda.
400ml Guinness.
100g cocoa powder.
Serve with…
Good-quality vanilla ice cream
or
Custard.
Get cooking…
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (fan 160 C) or Gas 4.
2. Butter-grease (the sides and base) and line with greaseproof paper (or better still use a cut-to-size reusable baking liner, such as this from Lakeland) and re-grease, a BIG circular tin (23cm / 9in diameter at least). This cake is huge once risen and makes a terrible mess of the oven if it over-tops the tin!
3. Melt the 150g of dark chocolate over boiling water (in a bain marie) or using 30-second bursts on HIGH in the microwave.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium-large mixing bowl cream together the 225g of grated butter and the 350g of dark brown sugar for 2 minutes, until well mixed and soft.
5. Add the 4 large (or 5 medium) pre-beaten eggs. Don't stir yet.
6. Sieve in the 225g of plain flour, sieve in the 1/2 tsp of baking powder and sieve in the 2 tsp of bi-carb - the sieving is important, so no clumps remain. Now stir until the flour is just combined (but don't over mix or else the cake will be tough).
7. Measure out 400ml of Guinness (from the 440ml can). The extra 40ml isn't needed in the recipe so set it aside or drink it!
8. In a jug, mix 100ml of the measured-out Guinness, with the 100g of cocoa powder, to form a paste.
9. Add the remaining 300ml of Guinness to the paste in the jug and then add the earlier-melted chocolate to the jug. Stir well.
10. Add the wet chocolate mixture to the other ingredients, in the bowl and stir well until combined.
11. Pour the mixture (it’s a loose consistency) into the greased and lined tin.
12. Bake uncovered for 45 min. Cover with foil and bake for another 45 min.
13.Check that a skewer comes out clean to ensure the centre is cooked. Don’t rush this cake – it may even need another 30 min! But don't over bake it, or it will be dry - so check every 5 minutes with a skewer if you do go into the extra cooking time.
14. Once baked, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 min. Then continue cooling it on a wire rack.
15. Serve the cake or it's own or with a little good-quality vanilla ice cream or with custard.
16. Keep the cake in an airtight container and eat up within three days.
Adapted from the Rich Stout Cake recipe by Green and Blacks.