Guinness Gingerbread

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I realize this is not a traditional St. Patrick’s Day recipe by any means, but it is a tasty way to use Guinness Stout, the king of Irish stouts, in your baking. Guinness and chocolate are a perfect pair, and they work especially well with the spicy ginger, pepper, and smoky cinnamon. The gingerbread only takes a few minutes to mix up, so it’s a quick and easy dessert to serve at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration or any time of year.

The gingerbread was a hit at our house and Michael even said it was the best gingerbread he’d ever tasted as he went back for seconds. The flavor and moistness kept us coming back for more.

[Updated April 2, 2011.]

GUINNESS GINGERBREAD

Adapted from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, by Melissa Murphy.

Makes 1 9×9-inch cake.

Equipment

9×9-inch baking pan, buttered and floured
small glass measuring cup or mixing bowl
medium mixing bowl
large mixing bowl
stand mixer with whisk attachment (or hand mixer and medium bowl)

Ingredients

CAKE
2/3 cup (160 ml) Guinness Stout
2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I use Droste.)
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2-1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (88 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (37 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) molasses
3/4 cup (180 ml) canola oil

WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon + 1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Place rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350° F/175° C.

2. CAKE: In the microwave, warm the Guinness Stout in the glass measuring cup, or you can warm it on the stove in a small sauce pan. Bring just to a simmer then remove from heat.

3. In the medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, white pepper, and cinnamon.

4. In the large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth. Add the canola oil and whisk until thoroughly combined.

5. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the beer (dry, beer, dry, beer, dry). Whisk as you add, then mix at the end just until combined. Do not overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Place cake pan on a wire rack to cool.

7. WHIPPED CREAM: In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the heavy cream and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add the sugar in a steady stream and continue beating until the cream forms medium-stiff peaks.

8. Serve while still warm with a dollop of the whipped cream on top.

References

Wikipedia – Guinness stout

More Recipes For St. Patrick’s Day

More Recipes Using Guinness From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Guinness Bread with Molasses

Pinch My Salt – Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Noble Pig – Guinness Stout Chocolate Layer Cake

Steamy Kitchen – Aged Cheddar and Guinness Fondue