Makes 1 (9-inch) cake with 4 layers
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup stout (I used Guinness)
1 cup butter + more for greasing the pans
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 Tbls. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
Glaze
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. water
1 Tbls. light corn syrup
Filling
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Directions:Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup stout (I used Guinness)
1 cup butter + more for greasing the pans
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 Tbls. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
Glaze
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. water
1 Tbls. light corn syrup
Filling
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Measure out the stout and put it into a heavy-bottomed pot with the butter. Set the pot on the stove over medium heat and cook until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. When the butter has melted, toss in the cocoa powder and whisk it until it’s uniform. When the mixture is uniform, take it off the heat and cool to room temperature.
3. While you’re waiting for the mixture to cool, grease two 9-inches round cake pans and line them with parchment. Set them aside.
4. Put the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine until uniform. Set it aside. Put the eggs and sour cream in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you’re mixing by hand). Beat them together until well combined. With your mixer running on low, drizzle the chocolate-stout mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients until the batter “just* comes together. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold it once or twice with a rubber spatula to ensure you got all the dry ingredients at the very bottom of the bowl. Don’t stir too much (only enough to ensure the batter’s smooth). The more you stir, the more you’ll encourage the gluten in the flour to develop, which can make the cake tough.
6. Divide the batter equally between your two prepared cake pans; Smooth the surfaces down so they’re fairly even. Put the pans into a pre-heated 350-degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed gently with a finger (and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center).
7. When the cakes are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on a rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the inside edge of each pan and turn the cakes out carefully. Let them cool on a rack until room temperature.
8. Position the cake cutter over the cake. Ensure that the slicing wire is set to the middle of the cake so you have even layers. Slice using a gentle sawing motion. Repeat with the other cake. You should have four cake rounds. Set them aside while you make the glaze and filling.
9. Make the chocolate glaze
10. Put the butter, chocolate chips, and water in a medium-sized pan on the stove over low heat. Stir constantly until they melt and are well combined. Drizzle in the corn syrup. Stir to combine. Take it off the heat and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
11. Make the whipped cream filling
12. While the glaze is cooling, make the chocolate whipped cream filling.
13. Put the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if you’re mixing by hand) with the beater attachment on. Beat to combine.
14. With the mixer running on low, drizzle in the heavy cream. Once you’ve added all the heavy cream, turn the speed up to high and beat until the cream is thick, light, and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat briefly to combine.
15. Assemble the layer cake
16. Put one of the cake layers onto a large plate. (Use the plate or platter you intend on serving the cake on. You won’t want to move it once it’s assembled and glazed.)
17. Put about a third of the chocolate whipped cream on the cake. Spread it around (right to the edges) evenly. Set a second layer of cake on top of the whipped cream. Add a third of the chocolate whipped cream on top. Spread it around evenly. Repeat with the last layer. You should be looking at a glorious stack of cake and whipped cream.
18. At this point, your glaze will likely be at room temperature. Pour it over the cake, in the center, so it spreads fairly evenly. With a spatula, spread the glaze around a little on the top of the cake, pushing it to the edges and then over.
19. Slice and serve immediately, or pop it in the fridge to let the glaze set
Author: Chef Hubert Keller
Restaurant:: Fleur de Lys, San Francisco, CA, USA
Source: http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/3223030-Chocolate-Stout-Layer-Cake