I concocted this recipe for The Cooking with Beer Contest in E-Week 2001 (Engineering Week at UBC). Since it wasn't officially entered that year due to a mixup in contest dates, I re-entered the recipe in E-Week 2002. It took first prize, beating the PP's (Phurst Years) 4-course beer fondue dinner. This is a very rich, delectably moist cake. The Guinness adds a subtle enriching flavour and also contributes to the moistness.
2/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder plus 3 tbsp for dusting pans
1/2 cup butter
1 cup Guinness
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cups cake and pastry flour
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, sifted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
Guinness Butter Frosting (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and dust with the 3 tbsp cocoa powder.
In saucepan, heat and stir together butter, Guinness and 2/3 cup cocoa. Cool.
Sift dry ingredients together. Add Guinness-cocoa mixture and beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and beat another 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into pans and bake for 18-23 minutes or until a knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire racks. Remove cake from pans and let cool completely.
Spread each layer with frosting, stack layers, and spread more frosting on sides and top.
Serves 10-12.
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder (optional)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup Guinness (approximately)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat together 2 cups of the sugar and the cocoa powder with the butter until fluffy. Add the Guinness and vanilla, beat until well combined. Beat in remaining sugar. Add more Guinness till icing is of the desired consistency.