I promise there'll be something else for the next post!
Now, you don't usually find me drinking on my own, in my kitchen, in the middle of the day, but today was different because I was baking Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake from her Feast - Food that Celebrates Life cookbook.
The recipe calls for 250ml (1cup) of Guinness, but unable to buy a single can of the stuff in the supermarket and not wanting to buy a four pack, I bought a bottle of Williams Bros Brewing Co's Midnight Sun instead. Of course there was still half a bottle left, so I couldn't let it go to waste and that's why I was drinking on my own in the middle of the day.
Midnight Sun is described on the bottle as a rich, dark & spicy Porter style beer and there was a mention of chocolate malt and a hint of root ginger, so I guessed it'd make a perfect substitute. The beer on its own was a bit too strong and bitter for me, but than I'm not a serious beer drinker and maybe some of it was down to it being the middle of the day. It did have a nice malty sweetness to it as well though, and I'm sure that if you like Stout you'd really enjoy this!
Well, the cake is for my colleagues birthday tomorrow, so I haven't been able to try it yet, but it was fun and easy to make (I have never before made a cake in a saucepan and of course I got to have a drink in the afternoon.) , the 'dough' tasted great (Yes, I did lick the whisk when I was finished.) and it smells and looks great. I'll let you know what it tastes like next time, as I'll make sure I'll get a slice at work tomorrow. As far as I can tell from the few crumbs that stuck to the springform, it's a great cake though, really dark and chocolaty but not too sweet.
Happy Birthday A.!
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake
Cake:
250ml Guinness (I used Midnight Sun Porter)
250gr butter, unsalted and cut into slices
75gr cocoa powder
400gr caster sugar
1 x 142ml pot sour cream
2 eggs
1tbsp vanilla essence
275gr plain flour
2 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Frosting:
300gr cream cheese
150gr icing sugar
125ml double cream
Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Butter and line a 23cm springform pan (mine is 25cm and worked fine).
In a large, wide saucepan heat the Guinness and butter, until melted.
Add the sugar and cocoa and whisk until the sugar has melted.
Remove from heat.
Beat together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla essence and pour into the pan, whisk until well combined.
Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and whisk until smooth.
Pour into the prepared springform pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 45-60 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Don't remove from the pan until the cake is completely cool.
Once cool the cake can be iced.
For the frosting, whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve in the confectioners sugar and continue to whip until combined.
Add the double cream and whip again until the frosting is spreadable.
Spread over the top of the cake. I only made 2/3 of the icing and thought it was plenty.
Enjoy!
Now, you don't usually find me drinking on my own, in my kitchen, in the middle of the day, but today was different because I was baking Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake from her Feast - Food that Celebrates Life cookbook.
The recipe calls for 250ml (1cup) of Guinness, but unable to buy a single can of the stuff in the supermarket and not wanting to buy a four pack, I bought a bottle of Williams Bros Brewing Co's Midnight Sun instead. Of course there was still half a bottle left, so I couldn't let it go to waste and that's why I was drinking on my own in the middle of the day.
Midnight Sun is described on the bottle as a rich, dark & spicy Porter style beer and there was a mention of chocolate malt and a hint of root ginger, so I guessed it'd make a perfect substitute. The beer on its own was a bit too strong and bitter for me, but than I'm not a serious beer drinker and maybe some of it was down to it being the middle of the day. It did have a nice malty sweetness to it as well though, and I'm sure that if you like Stout you'd really enjoy this!
Well, the cake is for my colleagues birthday tomorrow, so I haven't been able to try it yet, but it was fun and easy to make (I have never before made a cake in a saucepan and of course I got to have a drink in the afternoon.) , the 'dough' tasted great (Yes, I did lick the whisk when I was finished.) and it smells and looks great. I'll let you know what it tastes like next time, as I'll make sure I'll get a slice at work tomorrow. As far as I can tell from the few crumbs that stuck to the springform, it's a great cake though, really dark and chocolaty but not too sweet.
Happy Birthday A.!
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake
Cake:
250ml Guinness (I used Midnight Sun Porter)
250gr butter, unsalted and cut into slices
75gr cocoa powder
400gr caster sugar
1 x 142ml pot sour cream
2 eggs
1tbsp vanilla essence
275gr plain flour
2 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Frosting:
300gr cream cheese
150gr icing sugar
125ml double cream
Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Butter and line a 23cm springform pan (mine is 25cm and worked fine).
In a large, wide saucepan heat the Guinness and butter, until melted.
Add the sugar and cocoa and whisk until the sugar has melted.
Remove from heat.
Beat together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla essence and pour into the pan, whisk until well combined.
Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and whisk until smooth.
Pour into the prepared springform pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 45-60 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Don't remove from the pan until the cake is completely cool.
Once cool the cake can be iced.
For the frosting, whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve in the confectioners sugar and continue to whip until combined.
Add the double cream and whip again until the frosting is spreadable.
Spread over the top of the cake. I only made 2/3 of the icing and thought it was plenty.
Enjoy!
