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 beer, 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.
Make it Dairy-Free
The cake is dairy-free, just swap out the whipped cream with a dairy-free substitute.
[Updated April 2, 2011.]
Guinness Gingerbread Cake
Equipment
- 9x9-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
- ⅔ cup Guinness Stout beer
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I use Droste.)
- 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 2¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup molasses
- ¾ cup canola oil
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or a dairy-free substitute)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (plus 1-½ teaspoons )
Preparation
- Place rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350° F/175° C.
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.
- In the medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, white pepper, and cinnamon.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- Serve while still warm with a dollop of the whipped cream on top.
Rosa says
That fluffy gingerbread cake must taste really good! A delightful comnbination of flavors!
Cheers,
Rosa
A&N says
That looks really moist! Excellent picture too 🙂
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I love gingerbread, and my husband loves Guinness, so this might just be the perfect recipe for us!
T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types says
What a great idea!!! This should be a controlled substance 🙂
Sam says
I love the chocolate/Guinness combination, this sounds really tasty!
BananaBlueberry says
You had me at Guinness! This is perfect to make as a surprise for my Irish husband !
amy says
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I am totally going to try this on Saturday. It looks awesome, and you got me, too, at Guinness. Thank you, Andrea!
D Wilson says
Fascinating combination of flavors and easy enough for the most reluctant baker to approach. Thanks for sharing this one...
Shari says
I bet this gingerbread was good with the Guiness!
Claudia says
Seeing as my favorite chocolate cake recipe now is Chocolate Stout Cake, this has got to be good & a must for our St. Paddy's desert.
RecipeGirl says
Hey, I think it makes the *perfect* St. Paddy's day treat! Guinness in there? Yay! Love the idea.
Kevin says
Guinness in a gingerbread cake sounds great!
MediaSistah says
This is a really delightful gingerbread cake. My husband loved it so much he wants me to send one to his father. A definite keeper. Thanx Andrea
John says
Seems like this recipe calls for a bailey's whipped cream rather than plain. Maybe a tablespoon or two rather than the vanilla.
Sarena says
My husband would love this one...who wouldn't with Guinness and ginger? Yum!