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Monday, October 6, 2008

Chocolate and Guinness Cake

From Nigella's Feast page 286. Nigella describes this cake as *Magnificent in it's damp blackness* And I can't better that. It truely is a gorgeous tasty cake and I shall be making this one again and again.


I would make one change though. Nigella used plain flour and bicarbonate of soda. It rose beautifully, but when cooled, it sank all over (nice and evenly thankfully). Next time I shall use S.R. Flour.


Here's the recipe as in Nigella's book for those of you that don't have *FEAST*


For the cake.


250ml Guinness.
250g unsalted Butter.
75g Cocoa.
400g Castor Sugar.
142ml Sour Cream.
2 Eggs.
1 tblsp Vanilla Extract.
275g Plain Flour.
2 1/2 teasp Bicarbonate of Soda.


For the topping.
300g Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
150g Icing Sugar. 125ml Double or Whipping Cream.


Preheat the oven to 180c, and butter and line a 23cm springform tin.Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter, in slices and heat until the butter has melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake. When the cake is cold, sit it on a cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar, then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it looks like the frothy top of the famous pint.





14 comments:

Coby said...

Hottie, I adore this cake:) I was aprehensive about it first time around as I am not a beer fan. I don't know how it works, but it tastes fab and isn't 'beery' at all:) Doesn't it look like a black hole inside?:):) Your cake looks wonderful......Please can I come over for afternoon tea????:)

Sally said...

Arhh Cobes, of course you can. Would be great to meet you at last.
I have just eaten a slice for lunch. No, it's not *beery* and I thought it would be too. But oh sooo dense. Small slices only and I served it with some pouring cream. Shall be doing this one again for sure.

Coby said...

It doesn't need much adornment does it? *One* day I'll get over this whole spooky outside world thing and let you know I'm on my way;)

Rosie said...

This has to be one of my favourite cakes!! Looks delish and I know it’s going to taste terrific.

Rosie x

Esi said...

I love this cake too! I made it into cupcakes for my birthday a while back.

dlyn said...

My husband's disdain for my chocolate addiction might change if I made a cake with stout in it - will try this for sure!

Lucy..♥ said...

Sally, this looks simply gorgeous!!

Nickki said...

I have to say, I absolutely adore this cake as well. I was a little scared to try it, but after seeing your gorgeous picture on the pantry I just couldn't resist giving it a go. I'm so glad I did, thank you for the inspiration Sally :)

Maggie said...

What is it with Nigella and "damp" cakes? I made her "damp lemon and almond cake" and it was fantastic. I'll have to give this a try soon.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous pic Sally, I just love this cake and you look have made such a delish job of it.
xx

Rhyleysgranny said...

Yours looks so good Sal. Mine was terrible looking but tasted wonderful I am going to make it again to succeed. I always seem to have problems with Nigella's cakes

Thinking About Food said...

Sally that cake looks so amazing, I am really going to have to try it. I really love your photo too!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I found this recipe on your blog other day. I just finished doing the cake in my kitchen, right now, and it tastes delicious! Mine is damp for sure, but it is not so dense... It is more fluffy, airy, why is it so?

Sally said...

For LUCIANO.
The only thing I can think of is, my oven is a hot oven (if you know what I mean) so although I said 180c for this recipe, I actually did 170c. Hence it sinking a little and becoming *dense*.
If you like it light, fluffy and airy, then don't change a thing.
Thank you for visiting me and trying out one of my (Nigella's really) recipes. Do come again. Sally.xx