Everyone who knows me knows my husband Chip is the pizza man. We design the pizza together, but the creation and build are all his.

Everyone also knows I love my husband and he loves baked goods. I am not a baker but because I do love Chip, I make attempts at baking… many failed attempts.

I subscribe to New York Times Cooking. It is money well spent and provides an endless list of recipes for all levels and all  types of food and desserts. Did someone say dessert? Ok I will try it again.

Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe was posted by Nigella Lawson, originally on December 8, 2004. Her recipe for this cake is super easy, yet I could not help but tweak it and make it my own. Here is the amended recipe (I took a few liberties) for Chocolate Espresso Guinness Cake:

What you need for the cake:

• 1 cup Guinness stout or a bourbon stout like Chip’s favorite, Goose Island Bourbon County
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups superfine sugar. Splurge and purchase the superfine sugar, it melts smoother.
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½  tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• A pinch of salt or swap out salted butter for the unsalted listed above
• One heaping teaspoon of Espresso Powder. I prefer King Arthur’s myself.

What you need for the topping:

• 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon of vanilla. I love King Arthur’s Vanilla Plus.(Pricey but super amazing)
• ¼ cup heavy cream- add slowly, you not use this whole amount
• Espresso powder for sprinkling

What you need to do:

For the cake:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
• NOTE: Be sure to use a large saucepan because the mixing will all occur in this pan.
• In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa, espresso powder, and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture.
• Add flour, salt if you decided to, and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth.
• Pour into the buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 35-45 minutes, possibly to one hour based on your oven. Mine was done in 35 minutes.
• Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

For the topping:

• Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners’ sugar to break up lumps.
• Add cream cheese and blend until smooth.
• Add heavy cream a little at a time and mix until smooth and spreadable.
• You do not want this watery, it needs to be able to hold its own.

Remove cake from the pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness. (and it does!) I saved the unused frosting in the fridge if an extra dollop of it is desired…and it always is desired!

Serve with drink of choice. It is versatile. Chip ate this with an accompanying Goose Island Bourbon County. I had a warm cup of tea. Prosecco does indeed go with anything.

Either way, enjoy it. It stays fresh under a cake dome for just about 5-7 days.