Stout gives a complex layer of flavour and dark colour with a rich, moist finish.
Chocolate stout cake with coffee meringue frosting
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
1 cup (250ml) Guinness (or any dark stout beer)
½ cup (125ml) freshly brewed coffee
1 cup (250g) butter, melted
½ cup (60g) cocoa powder
2 cups (340g) treacle sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla
2 cup (160ml) buttermilk
2 cups (300g) cake flour
2 tsp (10ml) bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp (2.5ml) baking powder
1 slab (150g) dark chocolate, chopped
For the meringue frosting
½ cup (100g) white sugar
2 tsp (10ml) instant coffee
¼ cup (60ml) water
2 egg whites
Pinch salt
Pinch cream of tartar
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°C. Line two 20-23cm cake tins with baking paper.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine stout, coffee, butter, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk into a smooth batter.
- Fold in chopped chocolate.
- Divide batter evenly between cake tins.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in their tins for 5-10 minutes, then unmould and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, combine sugar, coffee and water in a pot over medium heat.
- Stir until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil and cook for 10-12 minutes without stirring, until the bubbles become large and the boiling slows.
- Combine eggs, salt and cream of tartar in a clean bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to form soft peaks.
- Keep the mixer running on medium and slowly pour hot sugar syrup into the whipped eggs in a thin stream.
- Once all the syrup has been added, increase speed and mix for another 10-12 minutes, or until meringue has become thick, glossy and cool to the touch.
- Lather meringue onto each cake, stack on top of each other and toast the top layer using a blowtorch.
Cook’s Tip
Coat chopped chocolate in some flour before folding into the cake batter. This prevents the chocolate from sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes.
Compiled by: Sjaan Van Der Ploeg
Photographs: Zhann Solomons
Also read: Triple chocolate tart
