Cooking With Beer – Narwhal Stout Flourless Chocolate & Peanut Butter Holiday Cake

Festive treats take on new meaning as we approach the winter holiday season, especially treats made with serious craft beer.

This recipe comes our way from Chico, California-based Sierra Nevada Brewing and it uses the brewery’s 11.9% ABV Barrel-Aged Narwhal Imperial Stout, an aggressive yet refined malt-forward masterpiece from a brewery more commonly known for its Pale Ales and IPAs.

And amazingly this Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake doesn’t use flour, it’s all about whipping the eggs into shape.

“We’re using the protein structure of the egg and [incorporating] air to make this a fluffy and custard-like cake.” said Sierra Nevada Head Chef Dan Grice, “This cake is very forgiving,” Dan added. “If you undercook it, it’s going to be kind of like a molten-chocolate cake in the middle. If you overcook it, it could get caramelized on the top. I would say undercook more than overcook.”

The finishing touch: homemade whipped cream. And Sierra Nevada uses its delicious barrel-aged stout in that, too.

So let’s do this!

Barrel-Aged Narwhal Stout Flourless Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cakes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Barrel-Aged Narwhal

6 scaled ounces dark chocolate (70% or higher)

3 scaled ounces unsalted butter

3 scaled ounces peanut butter

3 whole eggs

6 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Directions

Step 1

Place chocolate, peanut butter, and butter in a metal or glass bowl and place over a hot-water bath. (The water should be at a slight simmer.) Allow to melt fully, whisking occasionally. Once the ingredients are fully melted and incorporated, add the sea salt, vanilla extract, and Barrel-Aged Narwhal. Allow to cool a bit so the chocolate does not cook the eggs when added.

Step 2

Separate the eggs into yolks and whites. Place the yolks in a mixing bowl with sugar and whisk quickly for 5 minutes, or until light and pale yellow. (It’s a long time to whisk, but it’s key to incorporating air.) If you have a KitchenAid-style stand mixer, you can mix on high.

Step 3

Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg-yolk mixture, a little at a time while stirring. Set aside the mixture.

Step 4

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar and whisk quickly until soft peaks form.

Step 5

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/chocolate mixture, being careful not to disturb the air in the egg whites. Mix until fully combined.

Step 6

Spray ramekins with pan spray, or grease with butter, and evenly distribute the cake mixture into each ramekin.

Step 7

Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake at 325° F for 12–15 minutes. The cakes may have a slightly molten center. Bake longer if desired.

Step 8

Serve warm with homemade whipped cream

Narwhal Whipped Cream

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Barrel-Aged Narwhal

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon extract)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

 

Directions

Step 1

Before starting—perhaps while making the cakes—keep a mixing bowl in the freezer to chill. In a separate large bowl, place a few handfuls of ice, then set the freezer-chilled mixing bowl in the ice.

Step 2

Split the vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife.

Step 3

Place the vanilla bean seeds and the heavy cream in the cold mixing bowl and whisk aggressively until soft peaks form.

Step 4

Add sugar and Barrel-Aged Narwhal and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

###

(All image credits: Sierra Nevada Brewing)