I first discovered this cake at a Macmillan’s coffee morning. It looks so attractive with the rich dark sponge topped with an almost brilliant white icing that I had to try it.  After trying it I just had to make my own….

You will need:

• 250g Butter
• 250ml Guinness
• 200g Caster Sugar
• 200g Soft Brown Sugar
• 85g Cocoa Powder – sifted
• 1tsp Vanilla Essence
• 2 Eggs
• 270g Plain Flour – sifted
• 2tps Bicarbonate of Soda

Icing:

• 200g Cream Cheese
• 80ml Double Cream
• 100g Icing Sugar

Method:

• Grease and line a 23cm loose bottom/spring form tin
• Preheat the oven to 180degress.
• This cake is mixed in the saucepan so you will need to use one that is large enough to take all the ingredients.
• Melt the butter in the Guinness in your medium/large saucepan over a low heat, do not let this boil, you just need enough heat to melt the butter. Once melted turn the heat off and give the butter and Guinness and good whisk to blend together.
• Whisk in the sugars, then the cocoa powder and the vanilla essence.
• By now the mixture should be cool enough to add the eggs one at a time. If this mixture is too hot the eggs will cook and you will get scrambled eggs in your cake!
• Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, stirring gently until the flour has been well incorporated.
• Pour into the prepared tin.
• Bake in the oven for 40-50mins or until cooked. I test with a cocktail stick, when the stick comes out clean the cake is cooked.
• Try hard not to open the oven while the cake is cooking or it will sink in the middle.
• Cool in the tin for at least 5mins and turn out on the cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

Icing:

• Whisk all the icing ingredients together until thick and creamy
• Spread over the cooled cake.

And enjoy!!