Chocolate Stout Cake Recipe Epicuriouscom

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 11/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
• For frosting:
• Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).
• Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly brush ring pan with melted butter and chill 2 minutes, then butter again and chill while making batter.
• Bring beer to a boil in a small saucepan and add prunes. Remove from heat and let stand until most of liquid is absorbed.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate and remaining stick butter together in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in prune mixture until combined well. Spoon batter into ring mold and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into middle of cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Cool cake in mold on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon flour with 1 tablespoon natural process cocoa powder. Grease the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter and dust with this mixture, taking care to coat the pan entirely.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining flour with the baking soda. In a large bowl, stir together remaining cocoa powders with the brown sugar and salt. (Mixture will be lumpy.)
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil, beer and coffee, whisking occasionally. When the butter is fully melted and the mixture is hot, pour this mixture into the large bowl with the cocoa powder mixture, and whisk well to combine. Let this mixture cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a large liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs and whiskey. Pour this mixture into the cocoa mixture, whisking as you go, until well combined.
• Add the flour in two to three additions, whisking between each addition, until smooth and no clumps remain. (The batter will be a tad thin.)
• Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, rotating your pan at 30 minutes to ensure even cooking.
• Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes, then invert and release onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze while Bundt is cooling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, sour cream, whiskey, salt and 1 tablespoon of coffee until smooth. The glaze should make slowly disappearing ribbons when you lift the whisk, similar to the texture of molasses or honey. Add more coffee 1 teaspoon at a time as needed. (To test the glaze, drizzle some on an inverted coffee cup or bowl; it should be a little thick and travel slowly down the sides.)
• Once the Bundt has cooled completely, use a piping bag, spatula or spoon to glaze your cake. While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle cacao nibs over the surface, pressing lightly to adhere, and let the glaze set until firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease & flour three 8" or two 9" cake pans. Line them with parchment paper circles. Be sure your 9" pans are at least 2" deep. 2. For the cake: Place stout & butter in a large, heavy saucepan, & heat until the butter melts. Remove pan from heat, & add cocoa powder. 3. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. 4. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt in a large bowl; set aside. 5. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs & sour cream. 6. Add stout-cocoa mixture, mixing to combine. 7. Add flour mixture & mix together at slow speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, & mix again for 1 minute. 8. Divide batter equally among the prepared pans. 9. Bake layers for 35 min. for 8" pans, or 45 to 50 min. for 9" pans, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven & cool on a rack for 10 min. before turning cakes out of pans & returning to rack to finish cooling completely before frosting. 10. For the frosting: Place chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. 11. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir until mixture is completely smooth. 12. Stir in vanilla. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hrs. 13. To assemble: Trim one cake layer to have a flat top, if necessary (otherwise the layer will crack when you place it upside down on your cake plate). 14. Line edges of a serving plate with parchment or wax paper to keep it clean, & then place layer upside down on top. Spread 2/3 cup of icing over just the top of the layer. 15. Top with another cake layer, top side down, & repeat the process. If you baked three layers, add that one also. 16. Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of the cake. Remove parchment or waxed paper. Sprinkle with shamrock sugar decorations, if you have them.

Steps:

• Cake prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan well; make sure you get in all of the nooks and crannies. (Some people even go so far as to brush the inside of their bundt pans with melted butter-you cannot be too careful!). Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool completely in the pan, then turn cake out onto rack for drizzling ganache.* Ganache: For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.