Indulge in the Ultimate Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Buttercream and Rich Chocolate Ganache

For many of us, the love affair with chocolate cake is eternal, a truly undeniable addiction. And when it comes to chocolate creations that transcend the ordinary, this Guinness Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Baileys Buttercream stands alone as a truly sinful, delectable dream come true. For those rare individuals who claim not to enjoy chocolate, I’ll happily take their slice of this heavenly dessert, because once you taste it, there’s no going back. This isn’t just a cake; it’s an experience, easily one of the best chocolate cake recipes you’ll ever encounter.

What makes this Guinness chocolate cake so extraordinary? It begins with a remarkably rich, deep, dark, and intensely dense chocolate flavor. This profound depth is primarily attributed to the inclusion of a good old-fashioned, yet surprisingly smooth, Irish stout – specifically, Guinness. While the stout is a key ingredient, you won’t taste the beer itself. The alcohol bakes out and evaporates during the cooking process, leaving behind an intriguing complexity and a subtle, malty undertone that elevates the chocolate to new heights without any harsh beer notes. The result is a sophisticated flavor profile that is both familiar and exciting, making it a perfect Irish stout cake.

And the texture? Ah, the texture! In this kitchen, a cake must meet rigorous standards, and this one certainly delivers. It boasts a luxurious, fudgy, brownie-like texture that simply melts in your mouth. Beyond its decadent density, the crumb is exquisitely moist, wonderfully tender, and just fluffy enough to provide that perfect bounce-back when gently pressed with a fork. This ensures every bite of this moist chocolate cake is a delightful combination of rich flavor and satisfying texture. Achieving this ideal consistency is paramount, transforming a simple dessert into an unforgettable culinary journey.

As you might have noticed in the tantalizing photos of this Guinness Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Baileys Buttercream, we’ve gone above and beyond with not one, but two irresistible sweet toppings that literally take this masterpiece over-the-top! I confess, I could happily live on frosting, icing, ganache, and glaze alone, and these two layers are a testament to that sentiment. The first glorious layer is a creamy, smooth buttercream infused with the iconic flavor of Baileys Irish Cream. Couldn’t you just drink a whole bottle of that delightful liqueur? Its subtle creaminess perfectly complements the deep chocolate cake, adding a luxurious, boozy warmth. Then, crowning this already magnificent creation, is an absolutely amazing, glossy chocolate ganache. How incredibly indulgent is that? After all, when there’s more chocolate, what could possibly be wrong with the world? This double-layered delight truly defines decadence.

This sensational Guinness Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Baileys Buttercream is guaranteed to be your next crowd-pleaser, perfect for celebrations, holidays, or simply a luxurious treat. Its unique flavor profile makes it suitable for St. Patrick’s Day or any special occasion. To truly complete the experience, I highly recommend serving it alongside a nice hot cup of freshly brewed coffee or a tall, ice-cold glass of milk. The slight bitterness of coffee or the refreshing chill of milk perfectly balances the cake’s richness. For an extra touch of indulgence, a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream or a rich vanilla bean gelato adds another exquisite element, creating a dessert masterpiece that your guests will talk about long after the last crumb is gone. This is more than just a dessert; it’s a moment of pure bliss.

Get Ready to Bake: Crafting Your Guinness Chocolate Masterpiece

Embark on a delightful culinary adventure! Before you begin, gather all your ingredients, meticulously measured and prepared – this essential step, known as “mise en place,” ensures a smooth, stress-free baking process and sets you up for success in creating this amazing chocolate cake.

Essential Ingredients for Your Unforgettable Guinness Chocolate Cake

Creating this magnificent cake requires a selection of high-quality ingredients that collectively contribute to its distinctive flavor and perfect texture. Each component plays a vital role in achieving the decadent results:

• Dark Stout Beer, such as Guinness: This is the star ingredient that imparts a profound, rich, deep flavor profile and contributes significantly to the cake’s unparalleled moistness. Choose a classic dark stout to ensure the best possible depth and character in your cake.
• Unsalted Butter: The essential foundation for richness in both the cake batter and the creamy frostings. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for proper creaming, which is crucial for a tender, fluffy crumb.
• Dark Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder: Absolutely crucial for that intense, deep chocolate color and a smoother, less bitter, more rounded chocolate flavor. This type of cocoa powder, unlike natural cocoa, undergoes an alkalization process that makes a noticeable difference in taste and appearance.
• All-Purpose Flour: Provides the fundamental structure for the cake. Accurate measurement is key to preventing a dense or crumbly texture, ensuring the cake remains light yet substantial.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These are the powerful leavening agents that work synergistically with the acidic ingredients (sour cream, buttermilk, stout, cocoa) to give the cake its impressive lift and exceptionally tender crumb.
• Jumbo Eggs: Act as vital binders and emulsifiers, contributing significantly to the cake’s richness, moisture, and structural integrity. Always ensure they are at room temperature for optimal incorporation into the batter.
• Full-Fat Sour Cream and Buttermilk: These acidic dairy products are indispensable. They react with the baking soda, adding incredible moisture, a delightful tenderness, and a subtle tang that perfectly balances the sweetness. They are truly vital for achieving that desirable fudgy, moist texture.
• Semi-sweet Chocolate: A high-quality semi-sweet chocolate is used both for the chopped chocolate in the cake batter and for creating the luxurious ganache, ensuring a smooth, rich, and intensely chocolatey flavor throughout.
• Heavy Cream: Essential for crafting both the silky-smooth, pourable ganache and the airy, light Baileys buttercream. Its high-fat content lends richness and stability to the frostings.
• Vanilla Extract: A universal flavor enhancer that rounds out and brightens all the other flavors, particularly intensifying the deep chocolate notes without being overpowering.
• Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur: The secret ingredient for the buttercream, adding a distinct, creamy, and subtly boozy flavor that perfectly complements the robust Guinness chocolate cake, creating a harmonious flavor pairing.
• Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar: Used for sweetness and texture. Granulated sugar provides the sweetness in the cake, while powdered sugar gives the frostings their smooth, melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
• Salt: A small but mighty ingredient. A pinch of salt enhances all the other flavors, bringing out the true depth of the chocolate and expertly balancing the overall sweetness of the cake.
• Optional: Espresso Powder: A fantastic addition to chocolate cakes as it intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste distinctly like coffee. It deepens the cocoa notes beautifully.

The Allure of Chocolate Ganache: A Sweet Symphony

Mmmm, you’re truly going to just LOVE this ganache! Its glossy finish and intense chocolate flavor elevate this cake from delicious to absolutely divine. Made with rich chocolate and heavy cream, it’s a simple yet profoundly decadent topping that adds both visual appeal and an unparalleled taste experience. The way it drapes over the creamy Baileys buttercream is simply breathtaking and promises a blissful, melt-in-your-mouth bite every time. This velvety layer is the crowning glory of our decadent Irish stout cake.

Explore More Decadent Chocolate Recipes

If your passion for chocolate knows no bounds, you’ll be thrilled to discover these other delightful recipes guaranteed to bring smiles and satisfy any sweet craving:

Mocha Mouse Cream Cheesecake

Ultimate, Decadent Chocolate Cake with Ganache

Ooey, Gooey, Fudgy Mississippi Mud Cake

 

Highly Recommended Culinary Tools for Your Kitchen Adventures!

Equipping your kitchen with the right tools and quality ingredients can dramatically improve your baking results. These items are highly recommended for any aspiring or seasoned baker looking to achieve perfection in their culinary creations:

Yes, there is a HUGE difference in quality and flavor between Dutch-processed dark cocoa powder and non-Dutch processed dark cocoa powder. For this recipe, and indeed for any recipe where a deep, rich, less bitter chocolate flavor and darker color are desired, opting for real Dutch-processed cocoa is crucial. It undergoes an alkalization process that reduces its acidity, resulting in a smoother, mellower chocolate taste that is often preferred for dark chocolate cakes. While it can sometimes be quite expensive, investing in a moderate-priced bag of this “Dutch chocolate love” will truly elevate your baked goods to a professional level.

Find Quality Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder Here

A good cake stand is an absolute must-have when icing a cake. It not only makes the process significantly easier by allowing you to rotate the cake effortlessly, eliminating the struggle of awkwardly frosting it, but it also provides a stable, elevated base for lifting and moving your beautifully decorated creation without smudging. Furthermore, a classic porcelain white cake stand with a pedestal instantly elevates the presentation of any dessert, making it look much more professional and appealing on your table. It’s a small investment that pays off immensely in both convenience and aesthetics, turning a simple cake into a stunning centerpiece.

Discover a Beautiful Porcelain White Cake Stand with Pedestal

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Baileys Buttercream Recipe

Ingredients

For The Cake

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ¾ cup unsweetened DARK Dutch-Processed cocoa powder
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 jumbo eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup full-fat sour cream
• ½ cup full-fat buttermilk
• 2-½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1-½ tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup stout Guinness beer (use chocolate if you can find it)
• 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped up
• OPTIONAL: 1 Tbsp. espresso powder

For the Bailey’s Buttercream

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-½ – 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

For the Ganache

• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup butter, cut into chunks
• 2 oz. good quality dark chocolate (60 – 70%), finely chopped
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup Dutch-process, dark cocoa powder

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans, and line them with parchment paper circles. Ensure the parchment paper extends at least 1 inch over the sides – this will create convenient “handles” to easily lift the baked cake layers from the pans. Don’t forget to lightly grease the parchment paper as well for an extra non-stick measure. For best results, ensure your 9-inch pans are at least 2 inches deep.
2. In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the stout beer and butter. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally until the butter has completely melted. Once melted, immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Add the dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder to the beer and butter mixture. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps. Set this mixture aside and allow it to cool to room temperature, or at least until it is warm but not hot to the touch.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until all the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Set this dry mixture aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (a hand mixer can also be used), beat together the jumbo eggs, full-fat sour cream, full-fat buttermilk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
6. Gradually add the cooled stout-cocoa mixture to the egg-sour cream mixture in the stand mixer. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are just barely combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.
7. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing at a slow speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the batter, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until no streaks of flour remain. Mix for one more minute to ensure everything is incorporated. The batter will appear quite thin – this is normal for this recipe and contributes to the cake’s moistness.
8. Divide the thin batter equally among the prepared cake pans. Gently smooth the tops of the cake batter with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to ensure even baking.
9. Bake the cake layers in the preheated oven for 35 to 44 minutes for 8-inch pans, or 45 to 50 minutes for 9-inch pans. The cakes are done when a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs attached.
10. While the cake layers are baking and subsequently cooling, take this opportunity to prepare both the rich chocolate ganache and the creamy Baileys buttercream. Having these ready will streamline the assembly process.
11. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use the parchment paper overhangs to carefully pull the cakes out of their pans. Transfer them to the wire racks and allow them to cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

For the Ganache and Bailey’s Buttercream:

12. For the ganache: Place the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not let it boil vigorously. Pour the hot cream immediately over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for 4 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. After 4 minutes, whisk gently from the center outwards until a rich, shiny, and smooth chocolate ganache forms. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly until it reaches a thin, pourable, yet spreadable consistency.
13. For the Bailey’s buttercream: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur, alternating between each, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth. If the buttercream appears too stiff, add a tiny bit more liqueur or a splash of heavy cream until the desired consistency is achieved.

To Assemble The Cake:

14. Using a long, serrated knife or a cake leveler, carefully slice off the domed tops of each cooled cake layer. This ensures that your cake layers will sit perfectly flat and stack evenly on top of the platter and each other, creating a professional-looking finish.
15. The cake can be frosted and served immediately, or if preparing in advance, wrap the unfrosted layers tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
16. Place one leveled cake layer on your chosen serving platter or cake stand. Spread an even, generous layer of the Baileys buttercream over the top. For easier application of the ganache, refrigerate the frosted layer for 20 minutes (or place in the freezer for 10 minutes) to allow the buttercream to firm up. Repeat for all layers.
17. Once the buttercream is chilled and firm, spoon the cooled ganache evenly over the top layer of buttercream. Using a large, angled offset spatula, spread the ganache smoothly over the cake. You can aim for an even, sleek layer or create some appealing vertical lines and decorative swoops on the sides and top, as seen in the photographs.
18. Continue to pour and spoon the ganache over the remaining layers of buttercream, if making a multi-layer cake. Create swoopy swirls or a smooth finish on the final top layer as you prefer. Serve this magnificent cake at room temperature for the best flavor and texture. Enjoy every decadent bite!

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