Irish Chocolate Cake

This surprising cake is made with Guinness and cocoa powder for a moist, rich flavour that contrasts with the icing and wafer-thin chocolate curls.
Ingredients
- 150g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 50g Cocoa Powder, plus 1 tbsp for dusting
- 175g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 250g Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 200ml Guinness
Frosting:
- 2 Egg Whites
- 100g Icing Sugar
- 175g Butter, diced, at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence
- 200g White Chocolate Curls
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.
- Butter and dust a 20cm springform tin with the 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- Sift the cocoa powder, flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together into a medium bowl.
- In a second, larger bowl, cream the remaining butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Alternately mix in spoonfuls of egg and the flour mixture until all the eggs and flour have been added.
- Gradually mix in the Guinness until smooth then pour the cake mixture into the lined tin.
- Smooth the surface and bake for 50–60 minutes until well risen, the top has slightly cracked and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then loosen the edge, turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the lining paper.
- Using a hand-held electric whisk, and in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk the egg whites and icing sugar for about 5 minutes until very thick and glossy.
- Take the bowl off the heat and whisk for a few more minutes until cool.
- Gradually whisk in the butter, little by little (don't try to hurry this stage), until all the butter has been added and the frosting is smooth and glossy.
- Mix in the vanilla essence. If the frosting is too soft to spread, chill for 30 minutes.
- Cut the cake into three layers horizontally then sandwich back together with half of the frosting.
- Spoon a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake to stick the crumbs in lace, then spread the remainder over the cake.
- Transfer to a serving plate and decorate with the chocolate curls.
- Store in a cool place until ready to serve.
Tip
If the icing begins to split when you add the butter, add 1 tablespoon of hot water and whisk well before adding any extra butter.
This recipe is from Chocolate Success published by Simon & Schuster printed in 2011.