Beer & cake, perfect, even when put in the same mix.  I love this cake and it is, as is my way, good and easy…. Happy Easter.

Chocolate & Stout Cake

Chocolate & Stout Cake

Ingredients

250ml Stout
 250g butter 
 85g cocoa powder
 400g golden caster sugar
 280g plain flour
 2 eggs
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 140ml milk
 ½ tsp baking powder
 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Ganache topping
250g 	White chocolate 
60ml stout
25g butter 
60ml double cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 170oC
Grease and line the base of a 9 inch spring form tin, or as I did 2
bread tins so to make 2 smaller cakes

Place Stout and butter into a heavy bottom pan and heat gently
Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa and sugar

Mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla and then add to the pan.
Sift together remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl
whisk in liquid ingredients until smooth.
Pour cake mix into prepared tin
Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until cooked 
(Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean,
 the cake is cooked).
Cool in tin and then place on wire rack until cold.

for the topping

Melt the white chocolate and butter in the microwave, 
stir every 30 seconds to avoid burning

Heat the cream in a pan until nearly at boiling point
Add the warm cream to the ganache (it will thicken up)
Add the stout to the ganache and stir until smooth
Cool to room temperature
Place in a mixer and whip until it goes lighter in colour

Spread over the cake

Put in the fridge to set

It feels really rich and with the topping no extra cream is needed.

Enjoy

SLx