Molly Cookie

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Oct 7, 2009 Cakes, Chocolate, Coffee, Desserts, Food Things, Yummy

Brian is a relatively simple guy. He likes his life to be uncomplicated and clean. He rarely gets excited or enthusiastic, but he does really enjoy a few things. Beer and coffee happen to be two of those things… probably two of the top five things. I think the other three are his family, me, and getting back massages. With those 5 things Brian can be content.

Brian and I were friends for 6 years before we started dating. During that time we dated other people, through breakups and failed relationships I would hear him say from time to time that he just wanted to find a girl who liked beer and coffee. I think he felt like all of the negative personality traits that resided in girls he dated could somehow be associated with cosmopolitans and Diet Coke. The “typical” girls he was seeming to get paired with didn’t seem to appreciate the things in life that he did, like a great beer or a cup of coffee in the morning.  I would sit and listen to his dream of finding such a girl and think, “Man, he just needs to find a girl like me. I sure hope he finds her soon.” My mind never actually entertained the idea that the girl might actually be me, but that’s a story for another day.

Here we are after 7 years of knowing each other, married and making Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting, a cake who’s two main flavors consist of beer and coffee. I have to admit… I don’t like chocolate cake. I have never liked chocolate cake. I know, I know, it’s weird. I was the kid at the birthday party who would say “just ice cream please.” It has been rough. I am really a big time vanilla girl. I’ll take vanilla flavored anything over chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate milk, or hot chocolate. It’s just the way I was made. HOWEVER, this cake was my first exception. I actually enjoyed eating this cake, and the day after I tried it for the first time I found myself wanting more instead of thinking about having to tolerate another piece to finish it off.

Brian chose to use Rogue Chocolate Stout in this recipe, which was a perfect choice. I have been a fan of Rogue for a long time, so when he came home with a bottle of it for the cake I was excited about the way it was going to contribute to the flavors. It made a great float when we added vanilla ice cream to it too. I had never had a beer float before, and I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have liked it with any other kind of beer, but the chocolate flavor in the stout made the float taste like a dessert. At first it was extremely bitter, but as soon as the ice cream cut through the harshness the flavors melded together for a really wonderful finish. Even if you don’t try this cake, it would be worth it to try making a float with Rogue Chocolate Stout.

This recipe is from Bon Appetit. Brian saw it in the October issue in the Oktoberfest section and got excited about it about a month ago, and he finally made it on Sunday. He has never showed any interest in making a cake before, but I think this is definitely one that would be right up his alley.

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Cake:

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter
• 2/3 cup freshly brewed strong coffee

Frosting:

• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Preparation

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 11/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

For frosting:
Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).

Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Tags: Bon Appetit dessert, chocolate cake, Chocolate stout layer cake, Rogue chocolate stout, Rogue recipe