chocolate guinness cake with cream cheese frosting

We loved this dense chocolate-y not too sweet cake made with my favorite unsalted Irish butter, unsweetened cocoa powder and Guinness extra stout.  This simple dark chocolate cake is then iced with a luscious cream cheese frosting that transforms the cake into a lookalike frothy pint.  I'm thinking this will be my go to chocolate cake for a gathering, serves 12 generously.  Wonderful for a Saint Patrick celebration with family and friends.

This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson (NYT food section) I have made a few adjustments to the following recipe for my taste. 

For the Cake

1 cup Guinness extra stout
10 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish ☘️  butter, cut into pieces

3/4 Cup unsweetened European style cocoa powder

2 cups extra fine sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 

1 & 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

 

Heat the oven to 350F

Butter or spray (with baking spray) a 9" springform pan

On the stovetop in a large heavy saucepan over medium-low heat combine the Guinness and the butter.  Heat, stirring occasionally until butter melts, remove from the heat.  Stir in the cocoa and superfine sugar, whisking to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, eggs and vanilla-mixing well.  Stir into the Guinness mixture.

Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl and add to the mixture.  Whisk until smooth.

Pour into the buttered pan and bake in the center of oven for 45-55 minutes (check at 45 minutes), or until cake has risen to top of pan, is firm to the touch, a cake tester comes away clean with no crumbs.  Internal temperature should be between 205-210F, using an instant read thermometer.  Place the cake on a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.  A note: Remove the sides of the springform pan when it's cool enough to handle, later when the cake is cooler remove the bottom, using a large flat spatula to gently loosen the cake bottom from the pan-continue to cool on rack.

For the frosting: place the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.  Add the confectioners sugar and mix for 2 minutes, until mixture looks smooth and creamy.  Add the heavy cream and mix for another 1-2 minutes until mixtures looks like the frosting you want to spread on top of your chocolate cake, a creamy and thick spreadable texture.

Place the cooled cake on a platter or cake stand and pile the icing on top of the cake.  Spread the icing (using an offset spatula) on top of the cake only, giving a few gentle swirls.  The frosting will firm up more as it rests.