Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Frosting
Featuring Guinness in the actual cake, this Chocolate Stout Cake is quite delicious! Pair it with a coffee frosting, though? Now you’re talking!
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I’ve really been having fun cooking and baking with Guinness lately. As soon as St. Patrick’s Day starts to get close, I have this strange desire to pull out some cans of Guinness and use ’em in recipes. I know it might sound cliché to pull out the Guinness around St. Patrick’s Day, but hey…I’m ok with it. After all, I get to sip on any leftover Guinness that doesn’t go into the recipe!
Guinness is a unique ingredient in that it works well in both savory dishes as well as desserts. Last year I shared a recipe for Guinness Battered Onion Rings – holy cow! I’m craving another batch of those like you wouldn’t believe. And just week, I used Guinness to make Beef and Guinness Pot Pie. Talk about delicious comfort food!
Switching gears over to desserts, Guinness pairs really well with chocolate. There’s a reason why chocolate stouts are so popular. Stout beer + chocolate = yum! Last year, I made a chocolate pound cake and poured a Guinness glaze on top. So good! However, this year, I wanted to go with a more traditional cake. And that brings us to this Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Frosting.
Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Frosting
This Chocolate Stout Cake is a unique one. I discovered the recipe via King Arthur, and it sounded like a good one. Rather than creaming the butter and sugar together like you would in a traditional chocolate cake, the butter gets melted and mixed with the Guinness for this recipe. Definitely different – and I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. Let’s just say this cake landed on our list of ‘company worthy recipes!’
The cake itself is delicious. It’s sturdy enough that it doesn’t crumble when you frost it, but it’s not as dense as a pound cake. And the flavor? Spot on! This cake has a rich chocolate flavor, and the malty undertones of the Guinness really come through as well.
There are a lot of different options when it comes to frosting. I’ve always been a fan of coffee-flavored desserts, and chocolate pairs really well with coffee. I opted for a coffee buttercream frosting…and woah. Just woah. If it was socially acceptable to eat frosting with a spoon, then I probably would’ve done that with this frosting!
If you’re looking for a fantastic way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, then put this Chocolate Stout Cake recipe. It tastes amazing! In truth, this cake is good for any time of the year…but it seems especially fitting around St. Patrick’s Day. Cheers!
Did you bake this Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Frosting at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Frosting
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Stout Cake
- 1½ cups stout beer I used Guinness
- 1½ cups unsalted butter cold
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Coffee Buttercream
- 1½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1½ Tbsp espresso powder
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- {optional} chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
For the Chocolate Stout Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour (2) 9” cake pans. Line bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set pans aside. (Note: Make sure the pans are at least 2” deep.)
- Using a large saucepan, add beer and butter; place over medium heat until butter has fully melted and mixture just begins to simmer.
- Remove pan from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Set pan aside to cool to room temperature.
- Using a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set bowl aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Transfer this mixture into the bowl of a countertop mixer.
- Add the beer-cocoa mixture; stir on low speed until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture; stir on low speed until well combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl.)
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out mostly clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack until completely cool.
For the Coffee Buttercream
- Using a countertop mixer, cream together the butter and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the espresso powder and water. Add this mixture and the vanilla extract to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Place one cake layer on large platter. Spread ~¾ cup of frosting on top. Place 2nd layer of cake on top. Use remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.
- {Optional} Garnish top of cake with chocolate sprinkles.
Notes
Looking for more St. Patrick’s Day recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me for the cake can i use vegan butter and coconut cream and skip beer as i dont use alcohol at home and buttercream can i use vegan butter i never had chocolate stout cake with coffee frosting before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hey Ramya – yes, I believe you can use vegan substitutes for the frosting, but you’ll want to replace the beer with another liquid in the cake. I recommend a combination of water and coffee – coffee will add that same depth of flavor as stout beer. Happy baking!
I’ve never baked with Guinness – nor even tried a dessert made with Guinness, I think. But I’ve heard it helps to achieve a nice texture, moist and light. I must admit that texture of this cake looks terrific! And this coffee infused frosting? Yes please!
Well…it’s time to fix that problem, Ben! Guinness is great to bake with – especially in chocolate cakes. This cake turned out really well. I highly recommend a slice…or three! 🙂
You’ll think I’m getting repetitive here but Nigella Lawson has this recipe on her website too. I wonder who invented it first ? :=) ANyways, it sounds so delicious David. Chocolate and coffee and Guinness? I’m in! ANd Happy St Patrick’s to you (even tho it’s a week early – tee hee).
Interesting. I’ll have to go look up her recipe – I don’t really follow her. Either way, chocolate + coffee pair so well together! This cake is (was) absolutely delicious. 🙂
Chocolate and stout? Never tried it but it sounds incredible. I can see how one complements the other perfectly.
Yes! It mount seem counterintuitive at first, but chocolate and stout beer really do go well together in baking recipes. This cake? Fantastic!! 🙂
Wow, chocolate and stout sounds like an amazing pairing! Such an interesting technique of melting the butter with the Guinness — gotta give that a try!
Definitely give this one a try, Michelle – the cake turned out really well! I just wish we had more of it left…haha!
David you are a genius! I love stout cake, but coffee frosting? That is amazing! And the chocolate sprinkles are a perfect decoration.
Haha – thanks, Jeff! I think genius might be going too far. How about mad scientist instead?