This Month's Main Ingredient: Beer

Is it St. Patrick's Day yet? It's one of the best holidays for boozy desserts! There are so many options to choose from- Irish Whiskey, Guinness, Bailey's, and more just waiting to be paired with their alcoholic homies. I'm talkin' about some SERIOUS cakey experiments here, people! So this entire next month the Cakes by Kristi kitchen will be getting boozy. Like, REAL boozy. Now I know I can't make everything I want to make this month in one day, so I decided to ease into it with what I consider to be one of the most staple desserts around St. Patty's Day: the Guinness Chocolate Cake.

Now I don't know about you, but I know what I like in a Guinness Cupcake- luxurious, extra dark and moist, and most importantly- I want to be able to taste that beer! (I don't just want someone to tell me that there is beer in there, ok?!) So I started my morning off right- by making two different Guinness cake recipes at 9am (because that's how I roll on my "day off"). Long story short, I altered some ingredients and quantities of some recipes I had lying around to my liking and went with it.

Did my day of experimenting pay off? You bet! Cakes by Kristi is super excited to now offer Guinness Chocolate Cake! So here is my gift to you, my cakey friends: the recipe I conquered today. Yes it's luxurious and delicious. Thank me later! And note! I don't add ANY vanilla! You don't want vanilla cupcakes, you want GUINNESS cupcakes- so don't try to mask the flavor with unnecessary extracts!

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Yield: (Makes about 6- 6" round cakes (1" high) or approximately 42 standard sized cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 350 F

2 cups Guinness Draught Stout

16 oz Unsalted Butter

4 oz Dutch Cocoa Powder

3 oz Black Cocoa Powder

16 oz Cake Flour

32 oz Granulated Sugar

1/2 oz Baking Soda

1/3 oz Salt

7.5 oz Eggs

12 oz Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven, grease the pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Add the Guinness and butter to large saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter is completely melted. Whisk in the cocoa powders and remove from heat.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream together.

4. Using a mixer, combine the beer mixture and egg mixture until they are fully incorporated.

5. In separate bowl, whisk the flour and sugar together. Add the mixture in two additions, making sure to scrape down the sides after each one.

6. Pour batter into pan and bake approximately 15-17 minutes (be sure to check on them periodically). Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before turning out on parchment or wire rack.

Keep your eyes peeled for new stuff later this month! Happy Caking!!

~Kristi