Irish Chocolate Cake

Irish chocolate cake perfect for St Patrick’s Day

Ingredients

Cake

250ml Guinness or Murphy’s stout

250g butter

200g caster sugar

200g soft brown sugar

80g cocoa powder

150ml sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

275g plain flour

2½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Topping

115g cream cheese, room temperature

45g butter, room temperature

300g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Line a 23cm springform tin and set aside.
2. In a large pan heat the stout you are using, butter, sugars and cocoa powder -stirring until melted.
3. Beat the sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk into the stout/butter mixture. Fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
4. Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 45 minutes. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
5. When the cake is cold, transfer it to a serving plate ready to ice.
6. Lightly whip the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth, sieve the icing sugar over and beat to combine.
7. Ice the top of the cake to resemble the famous pint.