Chocolate Guinness Cake

Forgive me. I know we're all trying to eat healthy and stick to our diets, but I had to. I just couldn't keep this amazing creation to myself. It begged me to be shared.

Yesterday I got bit by the baking bug and wanted to try a new recipe. My husband suggested a chocolate cake he had heard of made with Guinness stout.

I love that man.

I combined a few recipes I found online and came up with this. I know, I know. It has beer. Cakes really shouldn't have beer. But, woah, you have to trust me and try this. The alcohol does cook out, so you won't be liquoring up the little people. (Or you can just tell them it has alcohol in it so you don't have to share. I won't tell.) And it has a chocolate ganache topping. Heaven help us.

Make this. Eat this. Tell me what you think. (Just don't let your thighs email me hate letters later, mmmkay?)

Chocolate Guinness Cake

1 cup guinness stout
1 cup butter (Please don't use margarine. It's just...wrong.)
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 Tbsp. baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups sour cream

In a small saucepan, bring butter and beer to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.

In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, soda and salt. (My theory is that by whisking I can avoid the annoying sifting part.) Beat eggs in your mixer until they become thicker and a lemony/mustard color. It will take about 5 or 6 minutes. Do it. It makes a difference.

Add the stout mixture to your egg mixture and beat only until it's combined. No death by beatings here today. Add in the flour mixture and beat on low only until combined. What can I say...be delicate.

Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350.

When your cake is cooled, make your ganache.

Heat 1 cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a heatproof bowl, break up about 9 ounces of good bittersweet chocolate. When the cream has just come to a boil (Watch it, because it WILL boil over and make your house smell funky for the rest of the day. Trust me.) pour it over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool a bit before pouring it over the cake. You'll probably have a bit leftover. You can scoop it into little balls when it's cool and roll them in cocoa, coconut, nuts or powdered sugar for cute little truffles. Or you could just hide in the nearest closet with your bowl and spatula. That works too. :)