Chocolate stout cake with Irish cream buttercream

A little bit of stout in chocolate cake brings it to the next level, and this stout cake meets its perfect match in a Irish cream buttercream.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• makes

  10

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups (260 g) flour
• 2 cups (400 g) sugar
• ¾ cup (90 g) cocoa powder, sifted
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
• ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp instant espresso powder
• 1¼ cups (310 ml) stout

Buttercream

• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup (½ pkg) brick cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 cups (650 g) icing sugar, sifted
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60-75 ml (between ¼ cup and a scant ⅓ cup) Irish cream. e.g. Bailey's, or 35% cream (see Note)

Makes one 23 cm (9 inch) layer cake.

Allow the cakes to cool completely before icing.

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly grease two 23 cm (9 inch) round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of baking (parchment paper) and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and instant espresso powder. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to this wet mixture, mixing until almost combined then stir in half of the stout. Continue with another third of dry ingredients, the remaining stout, and the remaining dry, mixing after each addition. Alternatively, you can mix everything all at once but it might be a bit tricky to get the mixture going.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the centre of the cakes are set and springy or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for at least 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely to room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, make the buttercream by beating together the butter and cream cheese using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, scraping down the bowl a few times to evenly combine. With your mixer on low, beat in the icing sugar about a cup at a time until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add in the salt and vanilla, turn the mixer up to high, and beat for 1 minute. Beat in ¼ cup (60 ml) of cream or Irish cream, adding more cream or icing sugar if needed to reach a thick, spreadable consistency. 
6. Place one of the cooled cakes flat side down onto a cake pedestal or plate and top with a thick layer of the buttercream. If you’d like to add any additional fillings, scatter or drizzle over the buttercream. Place the second cake flat side up and spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. (Alternatively, you can reserve a little of the frosting and use to pipe decorations.)

Note

• Any cream liqueur you like will work well in this buttercream.

• You could also serve this cake with Mary's beer caramel sauce.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.