Guinness Chocolate Cake
Insanely moist, fudgy, and rich, this Guinness chocolate cake is everything you want from a chocolate cake recipe! The Baileys buttercream frosting makes the cake taste even more decadent and adds an extra layer of Irish-inspired flavor.
If you’re looking for a fun treat to make for St. Patrick’s Day, this Guinness chocolate cake is the perfect treat! It’s adapted from my favorite chocolate cake recipe, only this version is even richer and fudgier.
The cake batter is mixed together in one bowl and there’s no need to reduce the beer, you just pour it right into the mixing bowl. That means less dirty dishes to clean and no standing over the stove.
Instead of using just a classic buttercream to frost this cake, I decided to add a little Baileys Irish cream to the frosting. The creamy flavor of the Baileys pairs SO well with the chocolate cake without making it taste too sweet.
Don’t just limit this cake to St. Patrick’s Day though, it’s honestly perfect for any holiday or occasion when you’re craving something chocolatey and boozy!
Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Guinness Beer
Doesn’t make the cake taste like alcohol, it simply deepens the chocolate flavor and makes the cake extra rich. You can use either extra stout or draught beer in the batter. Non-alcoholic Guinness works too!
Bailey’s Irish Cream
If you don’t want to buy a whole bottle of Baileys just to make the frosting, look for the smaller fridge packs since this recipe doesn’t use very much. You can swap some of the Baileys with heavy cream for a lighter flavor or use all heavy cream if you’d prefer a frosting without alcohol.
Tips For Making The Cake & Frosting
- Line your cake pans with parchment paper. This will make it much easier to remove the cake layers from the pans. I use these parchment paper circles to make it easier, but you can also cut out your own parchment paper rounds.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly. I always recommend using the spoon and level method when measuring flour rather than scooping it straight from the container. If you scoop it out, you’re more than likely going to measure out too much and end up with a dense, dry cake.
- Don’t over mix the cake batter. This can cause it to sink (speaking from personal experience). To prevent over mixing in one-bowl recipes like this, I always sift the dry ingredients into the bowl first before adding in the wet ingredients.
- Freeze the cake layers before frosting. This is a soft, moist cake. Freezing the cake layers will firm them up and make them much easier to frost. I usually let mine sit in the freezer for an hour or so.
- Butter should be at a cool room temperature for the frosting. To tell if your butter is the right temperature, gently press your finger into it. If it makes an indent without sliding around or mushing into the butter too easily, you’re good to go!
- Mix the frosting together on low speed. This will prevent powdered sugar from flying everywhere and any air bubbles from ending up in your frosting.
Decorating Ideas
You can really decorate this cake as simply or elaborately as you like. I did a crumb coat before applying the final layer of frosting, then piped the extra frosting around the top to make it a little prettier.
You could also add a chocolate ganache drip or drizzle some salted caramel on top, add chocolate shavings, or even add some Baileys truffles. (If you want to make your own truffles, you can replace a few tablespoons of the heavy cream with Bailey’s Irish cream in my chocolate truffle recipe.)
Or, try a different frosting – my chocolate buttercream, chocolate cream cheese frosting, or regular cream cheese frosting would also be delicious!
Tip: I have a detailed post that walks you through how to decorate a cake, in case you need a little more guidance.
Adjusting The Size Of Your Pan
This recipe makes a two-layer 9-inch cake, but if you don’t have 9-inch pans you can bake it in a different pan. Here’s how to adjust the baking time:
- 8-inch pans: Divide the batter evenly between three 8-inch round pans. The baking time should be roughly the same.
- 9×13-inch baking dish: Bake for 35 to 45 minutes and scale the frosting recipe down by ⅓.
- Cupcakes: This recipe will make 30 to 32 cupcakes and the baking time will be about 16 to 20 minutes. Make sure to only fill the liners ⅔ of the way full or else they’ll overflow.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know what you thought of this cake! Like I mentioned, I love making this for St. Patrick’s Day but have I’ve made it for other holidays and celebrations because it’s just that good.
Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Guinness Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (250 grams)
- ¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (65 grams; avoid using Dutch process)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil (120 ml)
- ½ cup buttermilk (120 ml)
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream (120 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Guinness beer (240 ml; extra stout, draught, or non-alcoholic will work)
Baileys Buttercream Frosting
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened (340 grams; 3 sticks)
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar (540 grams)
- 4 to 5 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream can swap some with heavy cream for a lighter flavor
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make the chocolate guinness cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, instant espresso powder, and salt together. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined.2 cups all-purpose flour,¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder,2 teaspoons baking soda,1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee,1 teaspoon salt,1 cup granulated sugar,1 cup packed light brown sugar
- Add the oil, buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add the Guinness beer and mix until everything is just combined.½ cup canola or vegetable oil,½ cup buttermilk,½ cup full-fat sour cream,2 large eggs,2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract,1 cup Guinness beer
- Evenly distribute the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the cake pans to a wire rack to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of each cake layer, then carefully remove the cakes from the pans and place them back on the wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, wrap the cake layers tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. If you plan to frost the cake layers right after they’ve cooled, I recommend placing them in the freezer while you make the frosting. This will make them firmer and make decorating the cake much easier!
- To make the Baileys buttercream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.1 ½ cups unsalted butter
- Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time (120 grams) on low speed, making sure to mix well after each addition. If needed, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Add the Irish cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until fully combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.4 to 5 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream,1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract,⅛ teaspoon salt
- To assemble the cake: Level the tops of each cake layer with a knife or cake leveler.
- Add a tablespoon of buttercream to the center of a cardboard cake round or a cake stand to help the cake stick to the surface.
- Place the first layer of cake onto your work surface. Scoop 1 cup of frosting onto the first layer of cake and spread it around into one even layer with an angled spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Place the second cake layer upside down (so the bottom is upright) on top of the frosting and first cake layer.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, this will catch any crumbs from the cake so they don’t end up in your final layer of frosting. Transfer the cake to the fridge (or freezer if you want to speed up the process) until the crumb coat is firm and cold to the touch.
- Remove from the fridge and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. If you plan to pipe a border or some decorations on top, make sure to set aside some frosting.
- Add any remaining frosting to a piping bag with your preferred piping tip and pipe a border around the top edge of the cake.
- Slice and enjoy or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
