Cooking With Beer – Dark Chocolate Stout Cake

Festive foods take on new meaning when made with serious beer. And who doesn’t enjoy a rich chocolate cake, especially when it’s made with the right Imperial Stout?

This recipe uses the brewery’s 10.2% ABV Narwhal Imperial Stout, an aggressive yet refined malt-forward masterpiece from a brewery more commonly known for its Pale Ales and IPAs.

Although any Imperial Stout will work with this recipe, we’re big fans of Sierra Nevada’s Narwhal, which is a seasonal that’s only available Sept–Dec.

And in the world of food and beer parings, it doesn’t get much better than a rich chocolate stout paired with the serious Imperial Stout.

So let’s do this!

Sweet Chocolate Stout Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Imperial Stout  (we went with Sierra Nevada Narwhal)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a saucepan, bring the stout and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add the cooled stout mixture to the egg mixture and beat until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
7. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Add the heavy cream and beat until fluffy.
8. Frost the cooled cake and garnish with grated dark chocolate