Recipe: Guinness Bundt Cake

Guinness cake | BCBusiness

You don’t have to be a beer lover to appreciate the robust flavours of this home-style Bundt cake from Lily Mae’s in Gastown. Owners Jeff Jefkins and Armand Tencha thank family friend Janice for the recipe, which hails from the Emerald Isle.

Chocolate Guinness Bundt Cake, $6, lilymaes.ca

Ingredients
 
1 ¼ cups Guinness (don’t include the foam when measuring)
1/3 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
7 ½ oz. (1-2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
2 ¼ oz. (3/4 cup) unsweetened natural cocoa powder; more for the pan
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
10 oz. (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature; more for the pan
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, very finely chopped (If you like, you can use Chipits. And feel at liberty to throw in extra!)
 
Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (175 ºC)
2. Butter a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan and lightly coat with sifted cocoa powder. Tap out any excess cocoa.
3. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the stout and molasses to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand while preparing the cake batter.
4. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. With a stand mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, cream the butter in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth, about one minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after each addition.
7. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour and stout mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Stop the mixer at least one last time to scrape the bowl and then beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 20 seconds. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan (or pans), spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Run a knife through the batter to eliminate any air pockets.
9. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 45 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. Let cool until just barely warm. 

Chocolate Glaze

 
Ingredients
 
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
 
 
Method
 

1. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate.
3. Let stand for one minute, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool for five minutes.
4. Drizzle the barely warm cake with glaze and then let cool to room temperature before serving. 

Orange Whipped Cream (Optional)

 
Ingredients
 
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp orange liqueur
Zest of an orange
 
Method
 

1. For best results, use a chilled mixing bowl and beaters (or whisk).
2. Whip the cream, sugar, and orange liqueur together until stiff peaks form.
3. For serving, use the zest of an orange to garnish the whipped cream.