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Happy Saturday, friends! Today we’re having Chocolate Stout Cake in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day next week!

I kinda feel like what on earth are you supposed to do for St. Patrick’s Day during a pandemic, but also I personally have never really done much to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day anyways besides the usual wearing of something green. Obviously it’s much more of a big deal in Ireland!

I’m also not big on stout beer except for when it’s in chocolate cake. Because let me tell you, chocolate cake and stout beer go great together. The stout flavor isn’t super noticeable in the cake itself here, but it does really amp up the richness and the chocolate. And it’s definitely more pronounced in the ganache and frosting. 😋

I went for a three-layer 6-inch cake here, but you could also bake this cake in two 8-inch round cake pans. I’ve included a little note about that in the recipe card below.

I think my favorite part of this cake is the ganache. It’s silky and rich and so good between moist cake layers and fudgy frosting. I’m not sure why you would want to, but you could leave it out and just do frosting between the layers instead. There should be enough frosting for it. Maybe you’re looking for something a little bit easier, with less steps, or more low maintenance?? I highly suggest not skipping out on the ganache, though!

If you’re not going to be serving this cake right away, I also suggest popping it in the fridge so the ganache doesn’t thaw out too much. You can see in some of my pictures that it gets a little runny when it gets too warm, which is totally fine! It just makes it much messier to cut!

This cake is rich, chocolaty, and perfect for an at home St. Patrick’s Day celebration! I went for a little bit smaller cake with the 6-inch pans, but this little bb will still serve 6 to 8 people.

Happy baking and happy early St. Patrick’s Day, folks!

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Chocolate Stout Cake

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 1

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Chocolate Stout Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup stout beer
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Stout Ganache:

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp stout beer

Chocolate Stout Frosting:

1 cup butter softened
½ cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup cocoa powder
5 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp stout beer

Instructions

Chocolate Stout Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray three 6-inch cake pans (or two 8-inch cake pans) with nonstick baking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, milk, stout beer, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until all ingredients are incorporated, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Divide batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until center is set and a wooden pick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If cake layers are domed or aren’t smooth on the top, use a serrated knife or cake saw to create a flat top for each layer.

Chocolate Stout Ganache:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, cream, and stout beer. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each, until melted and smooth. Chill ganache in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (Or you can make the ganache a day in advance and store covered in the refrigerator.)

Chocolate Stout Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add cocoa powder, half of the powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons beer. Mix on low speed until mostly combined, and then medium-high speed until completely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add remaining powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until mostly combined, and then medium-high speed until completely combined. Add another tablespoon if frosting is too thick.

Assembly:

To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand or cake plate. Spoon some frosting into a piping bag and pipe a border around the top of the cake layer. Spoon ganache into the center and spread with a spoon until the whole border is filled. Repeat this process with the second cake layer. (You may have a couple of tablespoons of ganache leftover that you can use to drizzle over the top of your finished cake.)
Place the third cake layer on top of that and spread frosting around the outside and top of the cake, covered and decorating as you wish! I piped some frosting over the top of the cake, drizzled with ganache, and sprinkled with gold sugar sprinkles.
Serve and enjoy! (Or store cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.)