Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Like chocolate heaven with subtle coffee undertones from the Guinness and a sweet Irish cream frosting.
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.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This unique cake is moist, decadent, and flavorful… the perfect dessert for St. Patrick’s Day or any birthday!
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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.
The best thing about this recipe is that it’s secretly super simple. You don’t even need an electric mixer for the cake batter!
Reader Love
First cake I ever made and it turned out amazing! Everyone loved it. Was super moist and so yummy!
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This cake 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.
I 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 anything you like, decoration-wise.
Sprinkle of Science
The Key to Moist Chocolate Guinness 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 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 home ovens here.
- Check that your baking powder & soda are fresh. Leavening agents are crucial to helping your cake rise, and can actually lose their effectiveness long before the date printed on the packaging. More on baking soda and baking powder here.
- Be sure to measure all ingredients properly. 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 from sinking in this article.
My Favorite Cake Pans
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.
Tips for Perfect Bailey’s Irish Cream Buttercream
There’s just 3 ingredients in this buttercream, so technique matters! If you prefer, this cake also tastes great with my Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Butter temperature. Be sure your butter is at a cool room temperature, about 67°F, so it blends into a smooth buttercream frosting.
- 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.
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.
Guinness Cake FAQs
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.
You can wrap unfrosted, un-cut, cooled cake layers completely in several layers of plastic wrap. Place inside an airtight container. 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).
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.
Almost any cake recipe can be made into cupcakes. Check out my full guide on how to convert cake into cupcakes (and vice versa!).
Run a large, sharp knife under hot water before your first slice, and after each subsequent slice, wiping the knife clean each time.
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Ingredients
For the Guinness Chocolate cake:
- 1 3/4 cups (222 grams) all-purpose flour,
measured correctly - 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 sea 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.*
Notes
More Chocolate Recipes:
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes:
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and recently updated with weight measurements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
This cake was delicious. Not usually a lover of chocolate cake because it tends to be dry, but not this one!! Everyone loved it.
BEST cake ever. We found this for a St. Patrick’s day party and now wind up getting requests for it outside of March 17! The cake is moist and delicious and the butter cream is amazing. I have made the buttercream plain as well and it is just as good!
Making this cake tomorrow, should the Guiness be room temperature?
Hi Jackie! Yes, room temperature is best for the Guinness! Let us know what you think of this cake once you have given it a try 🙂
My residents loved this cake! I had to leave the chocolate ganache off because my activities person stole my last bage of chips, but the residents have asked for it again. I’ve got a case of chips ordered so they can have it the right way next time🤣
Never baked a cake from scratch before. Made this in a single layer 9×13 Pyrex and halved the icing, didn’t bother with the chocolate drizzle. Baked for 35 minutes. It was amazing. Extremely moist and flavorful. Kept well for three days covered.
Woohoo! So glad this was a hit for you, Pete! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
Great recipe! I did not have the correct size cake pans, I considered making cupcakes but couldn’t find the right paper cups, so i had to bundt!
I used the full cake recipe and halved the buttercream.
So glad it turned out well for you, James – looks amazing!!
Will the cake stay covered in a cake container in the fridge for a few days?
Hi Rylee! This cake can be stored at a cool, dry room temperature for up to 3 days. No need to refrigerate because the alcohol content assists in preserving 🙂
This cake came together soo easily, I’ve never made a layered cake much less decorated one and it still turned out great! The cake is soo moist and the frosting + ganache is yummmmyyy.
Gorgeous cake, Arielle! So happy to hear how much you loved our recipe! 🙂
When you put the cakes in the freezer, do you just leave them in the pan? They are hot. Or cool them down first, then put in freezer while you do the rest?
Hi Janice! Cool the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack. It’s at that point you can freeze the cakes to assist in being able to easily decorate the cake 🙂
Well, I put them in the freezer in the pan and they still turned out perfect! ooops! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m not a fan of buttercream frosting. But do love a whipped cream frosting. Anyone else tried a whipped cream frosting with this cake?
Hi Miriam! We haven’t tried that, but perhaps one of our other readers has and can chime in – but just note that you will likely need to alter the recipe as whipped cream can’t hold its form with a lot of additional liquid added. Also note that the cake will need to be refrigerated if you use whipped cream. Let us know how it goes if you give that a try1 Happy baking 🙂
Made this cake with a Chocolate Ganache Whipped Cream Frosting, Did not pour a separate ganache over cake but just on my piece of cake I poured a chocolate store bought syrup for added decor. But really cake and frosting was amazing! I added to the chocolate ganache whipped cream frosting recipe Bailey’s Irish Cream and vanilla pudding! So light and yet so Amazing! thank you for sharing this recipe. My son said that it tastes better the 2nd day!
Pardon the photo- this was before my cake stand arrived. I made this for a friend visiting town during their birthday. I’m a huge chocolate girl and even I was skeptical of putting beer in a chocolate cake- but please believe me! This has been one of the most delicious things I’ve made to date. I think I could live off of Irish buttercream the rest of my life. Thank you for this.
Yayyy! So glad you enjoyed this cake so much, Kate! Your drip looks beautiful!
What type of Guiness beer did you use?
Hi Susan! I’ve personally used canned regular “draught” Guinness, bottles of “extra stout”, and their nitro version as well. I hope that helps!
Just wondering about 3 inch deep cake pans, they are hard to find (8inch by 3 inch ) wondering what brand you used
Thanks
Hi Michele! We love Fat Daddio’s 🙂