Berry Guinness Chocolate Cake

Black, White, & Red

I’m a big White Stripes fan. In addition to the guitar, piano, bass, mandolin, etc. stylings of Mr Jack White, and his childlike wife/”sister” Meg, I loved the absolutes they focused on: anger, joy, and passion, in the form of the red, black and white that they wore and decorated their musical lives with.

I could only think of them during this dark, broody, and yet rainy winter in New York when I finally got around to making a big three later Guinness cake. The rich, black tones of cocoa mixing with that complete meal of beers, Guinness, along with the texture and fluff of the white cream cheese frosting all around and in between, should have been enough.

Something was missing. Some other flavour to cut into those light and dark absolutes. What was missing was rich, dark, jewel-tone red. Only oneway to insert that flourishing guitar solo into my tall tower of cake: use raspberry and blackberry together. The berries blend superbly and complement each other in tartness, flavour, and colour, producing a deep rich magenta.

Jack and Meg would be proud. I made a cake as Irish pale, rich black, and garage rock red as this song:

Berry Guinness Cake

Mimi

A rich, moist Guinness chocolate cake made extra special by "blooming" the coca in the Guinness stout. In between the chocolate layers is a thin spread of raspberry preserves and piles of luscious cream cheese frosting. An Irish inspired cake with a berry twist!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, irish

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Guinness Cake

• 1 cup Guinness beer
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sour cream

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 4 oz. package cream cheese
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp whole milk (judge texture to amount used)

Raspberry Blackberry Filling

• 2 cups raspberries and blackberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Additional berries for garnish

Instructions

 

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter/Grease three 8 inch round cake pans (and line bottoms with parchment paper if desired).
• Bloom the Guinness, Butter, & Cocoa — Blooming the cocoa in the Guinness and butter will allow the richest flavor of the cocoa to come out and make irrelevant the lack of actual chocolate in the recipe. You won't miss it if you bloom.
  
• Simmer the Guinness and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until lump free, for a good minute or two. Let the chocolate cool in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until combined.
• In a mixer, beat eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the bloomed chocolate to the mix and beat on low speed until just combined.
• Add flour mixture and beat briefly for 10 seconds. Switch to folding the batter until combined.
• Divide batter among pans and bake for about 40 minutes or until the toothpick test is a clean toothpick.

For Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and lump free.
• Add in vanilla extract, confectioners sugar, and beat until blended.
• Bring speed to medium-low and gradually add in confectioners sugar. Bring speed to medium-high and beat until thick, but spreadable consistency. Add milk until correct thickness.
  

For Berry Filling

• In a saucepan, combine ingredients over medium low heat until simmering. Simmer until thickens for approximately 10 minutes.
  
• Let cakes cool for 15 minutes on wire rack. Only then, turn cakes out to cool completely.

To Assemble

• Frost with cream cheese frosting — whether frosting in between the layers only, or all around the cake. If using the berry filling, assemble the cakes in this order: cake, berry filling, frosting, cake, berry filling, frosting, cake, berry filling, frosting. You can also pile on more fresh blackberries and raspberries on the cake in any manner of decor you like.
  
• The cake tastes great fresh, refrigerated, and can be frozen and eaten way after the fact. Enjoy the trifecta of Irish Rock n' Roll Guinness Cake!
  

Keyword blackberry, cake, chocolate, cream cheese, guinness, irish, raspberry, sour cream