Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 10 – 12
Ingredients
- 250ml Guinness
- 250g unsalted butter
- 100g cocoa powder
- 300g caster sugar
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 150ml buttermilk
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the frosting
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g icing sugar
- Half tsp vanilla essence
- 420g full-fat cream cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Line the base and sides of a loose-bottomed, deep, 20cm cake tin.
- Pour the Guinness into a medium saucepan with the butter and gently heat until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder and caster sugar.
- Mix the eggs, vanilla essence and buttermilk in a bowl, then add this to the mixture in the pan.
- Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl or into the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Using a hand-held electric whisk or the mixer set on a low speed, pour in the contents of the pan. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 55-60 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Set aside to cool, then remove from the tin onto a wire rack, making sure the cake is cold to the touch before you frost it.
- To make the frosting, use the electric whisk or the freestanding mixer with paddle attachment to mix the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together until it is fully combined in a smooth mixture. Add the cream cheese and mix on a low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Place the cooled cake on a serving dish and spread the top generously with the vanilla cream cheese frosting.
Visit Waitrose for further St Patrick’s Day recipe inspiration
About the Author / Gareth Hargreaves
Gareth looks after all editorial content on 50connect. He is the Swiss Army knife of content ideas and production.
