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Black and Tan Stout Cake

 

Black & Tan Stout Cake

The first time I made a cake I did everything wrong.

I didn’t care what the directions said, I was going to do it my way, because that made way more sense. I was just going to add all the ingredients at once, because that saves time. And the greasing and flouring of the pans, I had no idea what this meant, and it sounded like a lot of work. So I skipped it. I didn’t check the oven temperate, I just turned it on. And then the frosting, I did the same thing. It ended up looking like cottage cheese. And the cake didn’t come out of the pan, and because the batter wasn’t mixed well, and the butter was still in lumps, it had crater like pock marks where the butter lumps had melted.

But I ate it anyway, with my lumpy frosting.

I’ve made a thousand cakes since then, but that’s the one that I learned the most from. That’s the one I remember. I learned that directions matter, that softened butter is an important thing, that steps count, as does oven temperate. I learned that if you’re going to all the work to make a cake from scratch, you should respect the process and enjoy the time. Or just go buy one.

Be all in or all out, but don’t half way make a cake. If you’re going to do it, make it count. And enjoy every minute.

Black & Tan Stout Cake -2

 

 

Black and Tan Stout Cake

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup chocolate stout
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 8 oz packages cream cheese
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup pale ale or brown ale
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 lbs powdered sugar
  • 1 3.5 oz bar dark chocolate, grated (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter and sugar, beat until well combined, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the eggs and the vanilla, beating until well combined, scraping the bottom of the mixer to insure the butter is well incorporated into the mixture.
  • Add the sour cream, oil and beer, stir until well combined.
  • Stop the mixer, sprinkle with salt, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda, stir until just combined.
  • Grease and flour 3, 9-inch, cake pans. Divide batter evenly between the three pans.
  • Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
  • Allow to cool for 20 minutes, transfer to a wire rack, allow to cool completely.
  • Add the cream to a stand mixer, beat on high until medium peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl.
  • In the stand mixer (no need to clean between jobs), add the cream cheese. Beat on high until light and fluff, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the salt, beer, vanilla extract. Slowly build up speed, beat until well incorporated. Add the powdered sugar, beat until well combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
  • Plate one layer of cake, top with frosting. Add another cake layer, top with frosting. Add the final layer and frost the cake with remaining icing.
  • Press the grated chocolate into the sides of the cake, if desired.
Black & Tan Stout Cake -3

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Comments


Jim Morris May 29, 2015 um 1:52 am

It took 2 marriages before I met a woman who could explain it to me, cooking is an art… room to be creative. Baking is science, follow the damn recipe!

Reply

haleybop November 10, 2016 um 7:10 am

lolololol YES

Reply

Steve May 29, 2015 um 9:02 am

I too learned the hard way: cooking is an art but baking is a science. Looks delicious.

Reply

Sophia @ NY Foodgasm May 29, 2015 um 9:04 am

This looks AMAZING! Absolutely perfect! Pinning for later!

Reply

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar May 30, 2015 um 4:57 am

Oh man, YES! It’s all or nothing when making a cake – and I want to make this exact one. Yum!

Reply

June @ How to Philosophize with Cake May 31, 2015 um 5:25 am

Wow that looks amazing! Loving that boozy frosting, mmm 🙂

Reply

Tara June 1, 2015 um 11:50 am

This is the best frosting I’ve ever made! AND the first time I’ve done three layers, i’ve always just done two. So worth it. and the cake was just the right amount of chocolaty but not too sweet.

Reply

Cindy September 23, 2015 um 11:18 pm

the frosting is the best ever. I will make it, exactly as written, for every cake I make now. And it makes a LOT of frosting.

Reply

Megan Power Foley March 20, 2016 um 7:45 am

Dear Jackie

This cake looks delicious – a really inventive way of incorporating stout into baking. Because everything is better with cake. But I was wondering about the name – the Black & Tans committed many atrocities in Ireland in the early 1900s, all ignored by the British government who armed them and sent them to crush a people fighting for their freedom. The name may not mean a lot to peole outside Ireland but it certainly strikes a chord with us. Seeing as Guinness is one of the world’s most popular stouts, I sew why you may have wanted to give the cake an Irish twist – not that I know if that was your intention. To me, it’s like naming a cake after the KKK. It just seems sad that such a fantastic-looking cake has an unfortunate name. I don’t mean any offence by this comment, I just thought you ought to know.

Reply

Jackie March 21, 2016 um 10:03 am

Thanks so much for sharing. I did not intend at all to bring up any pain, I’m sorry. The name is just a reference to the beer cocktail of Bass and Guinness that give it a "black and tan" color and is named a Black & Tan cocktail. I’m so sorry if it brought up any painful feelings. And you are right, I’d never name it the "KKK" cake because of the terrible things that have, and to be honest still are, happening in the USA. I’m sorry for the connect the name has to a terrible past.

Reply

Redd March 31, 2016 um 1:26 am

This could be converted to many of the "beer float" pints. My first thought after see this was a Snakebite, my favorite. A hard cider cake with a lager/stout frosting….yummy!

Reply

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