Chocolate Stout Cake

I realize that "Chocolate Stout Cake" is an obvious contradiction to my New Year's resolution of eating healthier, but this is so delicious that I couldn't resist writing about it now.  After all, even the best of healthy eaters deserve a treat once in a while.  

Last night while Ryan and I were watching an episode of our current TV series addiction, "Breaking Bad", I received a text message from my brother:  "Made a stout chocolate cake tonight!".  

"A what?", I thought, "That sounds amazing!".

So needless to say this idea and recipe comes via my brother whose main hobby for the past year and a half has been Battery Brewing, run by him and his buddy. Photos are courtesy of his girlfriend Alexa.  For a full description complete with photos click here.

Ingredients (Yields 1 9x13 inch cake)

Cake

1 c. stout (they used Dominion Oak Barrel Stout)

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened Dark cocoa powder

2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

Icing

1 c. whipping cream
1/2 lb. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

For cake:
1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter one 9x13 inch rectangular cake pan.  Line with parchment or waxed paper. Butter paper. 

2.  Bring the stout and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. 

3.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. 

4.  Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. 

5.  Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. 

6.  Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed until completely combined. 

7.  Pour the batter in to the prepared cake pan.

8.  Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

9.  Remove cake from pan, peel off parchment and allow it to continue to cool.

For icing:
1. Bring cream to just before boiling in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. 

2.  Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. 

3.  Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.

4.  Spread icing over cake.  To make a layer cake, cut the 9x13 cake in half and stack the layers, spreading the icing in between.

Note:  This recipe is an adaptation of one found on epicurious.com.