Irish Car Bomb Cake

In keeping with the Irish theme of my Dad’s birthday dinner, I had to make this cake. It is amazingly rich and moist and I want the buttercream on everything that I eat from now on.

Although I could not taste the Guinness in the cake, it really brought out the flavor of the chocolate. I happen to like Bailey’s, so I used a heavy hand for the frosting, but this can be adjusted to taste. The below recipe makes just enough icing to frost the two cakes, so if you would like to add decorative piping, you will want to increase the ingredients.

 Irish Car Bomb Cake

Ingredients:

For the Guinness Chocolate Cake:

1 C. Stout (Guinness)

1 C. Unsalted Butter

¾ C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 C. All-Purpose Flour

2 C. Sugar

1½ tsp. Baking Soda

¾ tsp. Salt

2 Large Eggs

2/3 C. Sour Cream

For the Ganache Filling:

8 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped

2/3 C. Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp. Butter, at Room Temperature

2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream or Irish whiskey

For the Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting:

½ C. Unsalted Butter, at Room Temperature

3-4 C. Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

4-8 Tbsp. Bailey’s Irish Cream

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and grease and flour parchment paper.

Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Add the butter and Bailey’s/whiskey and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be spread (you can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, spread it over the bottom cake layer. Top the ganache with the top cake layer.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a hand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cake as desired.



Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats

Mom's Birthday Cake

We had a surprise party for my mom’s birthday. Tim smoked some chicken and pork for the meal, and I was in charge of the dessert. I thought that this would be a good opportunity to try out my limited cake decorating skills, and use Mom’s hockey team, Sting, as the theme.

When I smoothly asked “what type of cake she would want if for whatever reason she would be having a birthday cake,” Mom responded that her favorite cake was white “wedding cake” with buttercream frosting. I found the below recipe, which produces a somewhat dense, but moist white cake.

White Butter Cake

1 3/4 c. (175 grams) Sifted Cake Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 c. (113 grams) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

1 c. (200 grams) Granulated White Sugar, divided

2 Large Eggs, separated

1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 c. (120 ml) Milk

1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease and flour two 8 inch (20 cm) round cake pans. Alternatively spray pan with Baker's Joy. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and grease and flour parchment paper. Set aside.

While eggs are still cold separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

In a mixing bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add 3/4 cup (150 grams) of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup (50 grams) of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then fold in the remaining whites until combined. Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)


Source: Purdy, Susan G. ' A Piece of Cake'. Collier Books. New York: 1989.

To smooth the icing, rub the hardened icing with a non-designed paper towel.

Buttercream Frosting

1/3 c. Soft Butter

4 c. Sifted Confectioners’ Sugar

1/8 tsp. Salt

3 to 4 Tbsp. Milk

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla*

With an electric mixer cream the butter. Add sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla. Moisten the ingredients on a low speed, and then whip on a high speed for 2 minutes.

Fills and frosts 2 (8 or 9 inch layers).

For chocolate frosting, add 2 Tbsp cocoa.

*To achieve pure white icing, use clear vanilla extract. This is available at most craft stores and the baking isle of most grocery stores.