Ruby Bhogal’s Irish chocolate Guinness cake recipe

3 hours ago

3 min read

This rich, decadent cake teeters between a pudding and a cake.

“This is an adults-only cake: unapologetically bold in flavour and paired with a subtle hit of booze in every department,” laughs Bake-Off star and TV cook Ruby Bhogal. “We’ve got that malty stout flavour running through the rich chocolate sponge, topped with a whipped cream cheese that’s spiked with Irish cream and finished with juicy blackberries for an extra bit of sharpness.”

Irish chocolate Guinness cake recipe

Ingredients:

(Serves 8)

Hands-on time: 1 hour

Territory: Ireland

Difficulty: Intermediate

For the loaf:

360g plain flour, sifted
3tsp baking powder, sifted
¼tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
120g cocoa powder, sifted
440g soft light brown sugar
1⁄2tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
175ml Guinness
150ml double cream, room temp
100ml neutral oil
100ml boiling water

For the chocolate glaze:

160ml double cream, fridge temp
140g milk chocolate
¼tsp sea salt

For the whipped cream cheese:

175g full-fat cream cheese, fridge temp
100ml Irish cream
1tsp vanilla bean paste
45g icing sugar, sifted
225ml double cream, fridge temp

To finish:

A handful of fresh blackberries
Crème de Mûre (optional)
900g loaf tin, greased and lined
PLUS a muffin tray, lined with 6–8 cases

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3. Start with the loaf batter. In a large bowl, put the dry ingredients and use a balloon whisk to mix well, breaking down any large lumps of sugar.

2. In a separate bowl, put all the wet ingredients and mix well until smooth.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a balloon whisk to begin incorporating, then switch out to a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides and base of the bowl to ensure there are no unmixed flour pockets.

4. When smooth, transfer three-quarters of the mix into the prepared loaf tin, using any surplus to fill the muffin cases.

5. Pop the loaf into the oven and bake for 58–60 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle to check for doneness – you are looking for it to return a few crumbs and a small amount of batter.

6. For the cupcakes, bake for 18–20 minutes, in a separate oven if possible. Allow the cupcakes to sit for 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Cover the tops with clingfilm whilst they cool. For the loaf, let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a large sheet of clingfilm. Wrap tightly and leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in the fridge to chill overnight.

7. The next day, remove the loaf from the fridge and make the chocolate glaze. Add the double cream to a pan and bring to a near-boil, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sea salt. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to sit for 2 minutes, then mix with a rubber spatula until glossy and smooth before leaving to cool for 30 minutes.

8. Place the chilled loaf on a cooling rack with a large tray positioned underneath. Generously pour the glaze over the top to cover, coating all the surface area. For the cupcakes, transfer any surplus glaze (including any sitting in the large tray) to a piping bag and pipe it into the middle of the cupcake. To do this, use the base of a piping tip to press into the cupcake top and scoop out a little sponge, then fill the hole with ganache and place the scooped-out piece back on top.

9. Whilst the glaze is setting on the loaf, place the blackberries into a bowl and macerate lightly with a drizzle of creme de mure.

10. Once the ganache has set, make the whipped cream cheese. Add the cream cheese, Irish cream, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar to a bowl and mix until smooth. Pour in the double cream and whisk to a medium peak, so you are left with a silky-smooth consistency that lightly holds its shape.

11. To serve, use a sharp, warm knife to slice the room-temperature loaf. Pipe any leftover ganache on top and cover with a generous dollop of whipped cream cheese. Finish with the boozy blackberries.