Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Chocolate heaven, with light, almost coffee-like notes from the Guinness, and a sweet Irish cream frosting, topped off with more chocolate decadence from the ganache.
Texture: The cake is moist and fudgy, while the frosting is lusciously smooth and creamy.
Ease: The cake batter is super easy, and so is the frosting and ganache. Assembly may seem daunting, but I promise it’s easier than it seems.
Pros: The perfect dessert for St. Patrick’s Day, or any birthday.
Cons: There are a few components to this cake, but they’re all totally worth it, promise!
Would I make this again? Yes, 100%
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This Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream recipe involves chocolate AND booze. It doesn’t get much better than that!
What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Or just any day, really. Because some days require chocolate and Bailey’s. And that might be because you’re celebrating something great… or because it’s been a long day.
The chocolate cake component of this recipe is super simple. You don’t even need an electric mixer for the cake batter! So you only have to clean your stand mixer bowl once (for the frosting).
The cake base contains sour cream to give the cake a ton of richness and moisture, and the Guinness stout beer gives it a deep, roasted, slightly coffee-like taste that pairs so wonderfully with that rich chocolate flavor.
Feel free to get creative with decorating this cake! We went for a ‘naked’ look where the sides of the cake peek through the frosting. That focuses the attention on that beautiful chocolate ganache drip topping. You could go crazy with green food coloring, shamrock sprinkles, or gold coins for a fun, festive look.
Or keep it classic with chocolate shavings or even a drizzle of salted caramel for an extra tasty garnish.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream
How to Make MOIST Chocolate Cake
Be very careful not to accidentally over-measure the flour and cocoa powder in this recipe. This will lead to dense, dry, or tough cake. The best way to ensure this never happens is to measure your ingredients by weight using a digital kitchen scale. This will forever improve your baking! If you don’t have a scale, be sure to use the spoon and level method to measure your dry ingredients.
How to Prevent Your Chocolate Cake from Sinking
This is an extremely moist and rich cake recipe, so if your cake does sink slightly in the center don’t worry. It’s definitely not ruined! Simply use a serrated knife or cake leveler to level off the cake for a flat layer. To prevent your Guinness Chocolate Cake from sinking in the first place, check out my tips below:
- Make sure your oven is at the correct temperature. Many home ovens actually run much hotter or colder than they say. Learn more about this here.
- Check that your baking powder & soda are fresh. These leavening agents are crucial to helping your cake rise, and can actually lose their effectiveness long before the date printed on the packaging. Learn more about that here.
- Be sure to measure all ingredients properly. As mentioned above, I love my digital kitchen scale to ensure precision! Learn more about weighing ingredients here.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter. Over-mixing the batter can make your cake tough and rubbery and cause it to sink.
- Bake the batter soon after mixing it up. Don’t let the batter sit for any longer than necessary before baking, as this can cause the leavening agents to lose their effectiveness, and your cake may sink, or it may never rise in the first place!
- Bake in the center of your oven and don’t open the oven door unnecessarily, to ensure your oven maintains the most even heat possible.
- Don’t underbake the cake. A cake tester or toothpick should come out clean!
- More tips for how to prevent cakes and loaves from sinking in this article.
What Cake Pan do I Need for This Cake?
This Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream recipe was written to use two 8-inch pans. These Fat Daddios pans are my favorites. Be sure to use pans that are deep enough (I recommend 3 inches) to avoid your cake spilling over.
Can I Bake This with Different Sized Baking Pans?
Probably! You’ll just need to do a little math to adjust the timing and calculate the volume. Check out Wilton’s handy guide for converting cake baking pans.
Can you Bake This Cake into Cupcakes?
Almost any cake recipe can be made into cupcakes. Check out my full guide on how to convert cake into cupcakes (and vice versa!).
Tips for Perfect Bailey’s Irish Cream Buttercream
- Butter temperature. Be sure your butter is at a cool room temperature, about 67°F, so it blends into a smooth buttercream icing.
- Use finely ground powdered sugar. Not sure if you’ve got the right sugar? Check out my post on 6 Secrets to Perfect Buttercream.
- Whatever you do, don’t skip sifting the sugar! If you skip sifting your powdered sugar, you will end up with unattractive lumps and bumps in your iced cake.
- Irish Cream substitutes. If you’d prefer to keep this recipe free of any un-cooked alcohol, feel free to replace the Irish Cream with regular heavy cream.
How to Make the Perfect Chocolate Ganache Drip
There are a few ways to make your ganache drip, but here’s how I like to do it:
- Firstly, be sure your cake is cold. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator until the buttercream is chilled and firm to the touch before applying the ganache drip.
- Also, be sure that your ganache isn’t too hot, as this will melt the buttercream and run straight off the cake. Test the consistency of the drip by pouring a tiny bit down the side of a glass.
- Place the cake on a cake turntable, so you can easily turn the cake as needed. This is especially helpful when applying the drips down the sides of the cake.
- Carefully pour some of the ganache over the top of the chilled cake. Use an offset spatula to quickly smooth the ganache over the top of the cake before it sets, spreading evenly just to the cake’s edge.
- Use a squeeze bottle to gently squeeze one drip at a time down the sides of the cake.
- Before the ganache fully sets, add sprinkles, chocolate curls, or any other decor you like. It won’t adhere properly if you allow the ganache to firm up before adding.
How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake Ahead of Time
You can wrap unfrosted, un-cut, cooled cake layers completely in several layers of plastic wrap. Place inside a freezer bag. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge (do not defrost at room temperature or you will end up with mushy cake).
How to Store Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream
Since frosting acts as a protective seal that keeps the cake moist and fresh, frosted cakes can be stored at a cool, dry room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Especially this frosting, since it has some alcohol content to further preserve. Cover with a cake keeper to keep the frosting and decorating intact. Don’t use plastic wrap, which will not only ruin your frosting, but also create condensation that can cause the frosting to separate.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Best Chocolate Cake
- Nutella Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Whiskey Truffles
- Frozen Mint Chocolate Chip Pie
- Bailey’s Cheesecake Bars
- Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Find ALL my St. Patrick’s Day recipes here!
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Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Guinness Chocolate cake:
- 1 3/4 cups (222 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (64 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Guinness beer
For the Irish Buttercream:
- 4 sticks (454 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 6 cups (750 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Irish cream, such as Bailey’s
For the Chocolate Drip:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- sprinkles or chocolate curls for topping, optional
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 8-inch wide x 3-inch deep cake pans and line with parchment paper rounds.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and beer.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a cooling rack or wire rack to cool completely. If possible, freeze the cakes while you prepare the buttercream.
Make the buttercream:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then the Irish cream. Beat the mixture on high speed until very light, fluffy, and smooth, about 3 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash more Irish cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Assemble:
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Frost the top of the cake generously, as this will become the filling. Use even more if you're decorating as a 'naked' cake as shown in the photos. Top with the other cake layer, flat side up.
- With an offset spatula, spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake. This layer is a crumb coat and should act like spackle. For the smoothest frosting, return the cake to the fridge or freezer until firm to the touch.
- Spread the remaining frosting all over the cake. If desired, focus the frosting on the top to maintain the 'naked' look. Refrigerate while you prepare chocolate drip.
Make chocolate drip:
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small pan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer then immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate. You can also do this in the microwave. Cover for a few minutes then stir until smooth.
- Allow to cool until it has thickened but is still pourable, about 10 minutes. Don’t place ganache in the fridge to cool. Test the consistency of the drip by pouring down the side of a glass. If it’s too thick, microwave for 5 to 10 seconds. If it’s too thin, continue to cool.
- Carefully pour some of the ganache over the top of the chilled cake. Use an offset spatula to quickly smooth the ganache over the top of the cake before it sets, spreading evenly just to the cake’s edge. Use a squeeze bottle to gently squeeze one drip at a time down the sides of the cake.
- Before the ganache fully sets, add sprinkles, chocolate curls, or any other decor you like. It won’t adhere properly if you allow the ganache to firm up before adding.
- This cake can be stored, covered with a cake keeper, at a cool, dry room temperature for 2-3 days.*
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and recently updated with weight measurements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
This was a great cake! The cake itself had a beautiful, sturdy crumb and the tiny bit of bitterness from the hops in the Guinness balanced out the sweetness of the frosting. The ganache on top did the same. I was amazed at how well it kept at room temp under a cake dome, staying moist and mellowing and blending in flavor. I made a half batch and just one cake round, using two medium eggs instead of dividing 3 eggs. Then I did the trick of cutting the round in half to make a half two-layer cake. Will definitely make this again, it is a little addicting!
I tested my baking powder & sofa first. Made this cake exactly as written.
Went to the store Thor Guinea’s Stout.
My biggest disappointment is, the cake was only about 1 inch each layer.
What would cause this’d. So sad with Irish friends coming tomorrow for dinner.
Hi Donna! I’m sorry to hear that this cake didn’t quite turn out as it should! Here are a few common issues that will hopefully help you figure out what went wrong here:
– Were the correct pan sizes used? This recipe was written for two 8-inch round cake pans, so if larger cake pans were used, the resulting cakes will be thinner.
– Were all the ingredients used as-written, or were any ingredients substituted or adjusted?
– How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Check out Tessa’s article here, where she talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time.
I hope something here helped, Donna, and I hope you give this cake another try sometime – it really is so delicious! Happy baking 🙂
This was a hit!
Hi! Every year I drool over pictures of this cake on Instagram. This year I’m finally going to make it! Quick question. Does the sour cream need to be room temp? Thanks!!
Hi Kate! Yay, we can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake! The sour cream temperature isn’t as important as the temperature of the eggs, but we still recommend it being at room temp if possible. Let us know what you think once you’ve given this cake a try! 🙂
I ended up using the sour cream straight from the fridge, and the cake turned out great! It’s moist and chocolatey I used less powdered sugar in the frosting – something seems to have happened to my sweet tooth!?! Oh, and a little exta Baileys. Deeeeelish! Even without the chocolate drizzle on top.
One more thing – this was the most perfectly shaped cake I’ve ever made!! My 8-inch pans were only 2 inches deep, but that wasn’t a problem. It was the first time I ever used parchment rounds, too. I wasn’t sure how to use them, so I greased the pan, put in the parchment, then greased and floured over that. Not sure if it’s right, but it worked great!
Yay! So thrilled this turned out so well for you, Kate! 🙂
I’m new to baking in the south and have had to adjust some of my recipes, I’m normally a northwestern baker. So I would really like to know if this recipe was tested/baked in the north or south? please and thank you in advance
Hi Misty! Tessa creates all her recipes in her Arizona kitchen, but each recipe is tested by each of our staff in our kitchens across the country before publishing. This recipe has been tested in Arizona, Michigan and New York. I hope that helps! Let us know what you think if you give this cake a try! Happy baking 🙂
awesome!! thank you! I did make it and it turned out perfectly. plus it is so delicious!!
Yay! So glad to hear that, Misty 🙂
It’s amazing
very good recipe. i love it. just wish the guinness was stronger but i guess we cant help that. next time i will try your suggestion and brush on some. awesome.
I used the Guinness extra stout for a slightly stronger flavor. I made this as cupcakes and they turned out nice.
Hey,
Just for fun, how could I make this cake using more Guinness, let’s say double the amount. What changes would I need to make?
Thanks
Hi Dean! Unfortunately, if you wanted to add more liquid to this recipe, you would need to do a lot of experimenting to get it right. Adding extra liquid (especially double) changes the entire chemistry of the cake, so the outcome would be totally different. If you wanted to add more Guinness, I would recommend making the recipe as-written, and brushing a little more beer onto each cake layer with a pastry brush once cooled (but don’t go too crazy as too much liquid brushed on will cause the cakes to break apart and turn to mush!). I hope that helps! Let us know how it goes 🙂
Would using 8oz of a Guinness reduction work for that or would it change the texture of the cake?
Hi Doreen! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂
Thank you very much for this fabulous recipe. I followed the instructions exactly – and weighed the dry ingredients – a first for me. I made two separate batches in a 13×9 pan for my husband’s 80th birthday party and everybody raved! I’m repeating it for Christmas eve for my daughter’s 43rd birthday (poor Christmas child!). So, thank you for posting and sharing. Excellent cake!
Hi Teena! That’s so wonderful to hear! We’re so glad your family enjoyed this cake so much 🙂
so good, I’m making it for my Birthday cake!
Everyone enjoyed it tremendously. The only negative comment was that the frosting was extremely sweet. I plan on making it again soon but would appreciate any comments or thoughts on stepping the sugar content down a bit in the frosting anyway. The cake was spot on.
Always a hit with the family and friends!