Clodagh McKenna’s ultimate Guinness chocolate cake for St Patrick’s Day

Ultimate Guinness chocolate cake 

Makes one cake, serves 8

Ingredients

• 260g Flora buttery
• 300ml Guinness/other stout/non-alcoholic stout
• 100g cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 420g caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 180ml buttermilk
• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the icing

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 100g Flora buttery
• 340g cream cheese

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C /325°F/gas mark 3. Line the base of a 30cm round springform tin with baking parchment.

2 To make the cake, heat the Flora Buttery in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Stir in the Guinness (or other stout/non-alcoholic stout), then remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder.

3 In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk and then slowly add the Guinness mixture, whisking all the time.

4 Next, sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, and whisk into the wet mixture until it is all well combined.

5 Transfer the mixture into the cake tin and bake for approximately 55 minutes. Test to make sure the cake is cooked by inserting a dry skewer into the middle of the cake – if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. Set aside to cool a little, and then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

6 Meanwhile, make the icing by blending all the ingredients together using an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

7 Place the cooled cake on a plate and generously spread the icing on top. The cake will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.