Guinness Cake

Chocolate Guinness Cake

by NIGELLA LAWSON

This was one of the easiest cakes I have ever made. Other than the unusual ingredients it will be a regular in my house for some time. The tennis team is bound to get there fill of this one as well.


Ingredients for the cake:
1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Ingredients for the topping:
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat the over to 350 F, and butter and line a 9 inch springform pan.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter — in spoons or slices — and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased pan and bake for 55 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the frosting. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sift over the confectioner's sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsifted confectioners' sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Makes about 12 slices

Whipped Cream Cake

My son, Teddy and I made this one night from my book "All Cakes Considered" we were very pleasantly surprised that despite the unusual ingredients in the cake its very light and fluffy.

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream

2 eggs, beaten until thick and lemon colored

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

Whip cream until it holds its shape. Add eggs and whip until light as foam. Add sugar and beat again. Add Vanilla. Sift salt and baking powder together. Bake in greased 8" cake round at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes.

I like to put the second cup of whipping cream from the pint whipped in the center and then frost the cake with a nice chocolate frosting (See banana cake recipe).

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This was my first try with one of the cakes in a new book I got for my birthday. "All Cakes Considered" a very cool book. My families first response to my choice was Banana's and Chocolate, yuk. They have since tasting it changed their minds completely. I am very impressed with the details of the recipes, and I have to say this is my best scratch cake yet. By the way in the picture I cheated and used some already prepared frosting I had with chocolate chips in it.

You'll need

10-inch tube pan

For the Cake

2/3 cup shortening (I used butter)

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups ripe bananas, mashed (3 bananas)

1/3 cup butter milk (or 1/3 cup whole milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Frosting

two 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cream or sweetened condensed milk

To make the cake

1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the pan.
2. With the mixer on medium speed, cream the shortening, then gradually add the sugar, mixing well.
3. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the cake flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture, beating until blended.
4. Add the mashed bananas and half the buttermilk and mix just until moistened, then increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes more.
5. Add the rest of the buttermilk and the eggs, and beat for 2 more minutes.
6. If you're going for the walnuts. add them to the batter and mix on low speed until just blended.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the cake tests done.
8. Cool for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cake rack and cool completely.
9. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl fitted into a saucepan with simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. allow to cool.
10. With the mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, then gradually add half of the confectioners' sugar, blending well. Beat in 2 tablespoons of cream. Beat in the remaining sugar and cream and set aside.
11. Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture and beat until smooth. allow to cool slightly, then spread on the cooled cake.

Fondente al cioccolato

(Costanza's Chocolate Cake)

Preparation and Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients : 10 servings

• 5 eggs (separated)
  
• 125g (4 oz) powdered sugar and some for decorations
• 125g (4 oz) butter at room temperature
• 170g (6 oz) milk
• 1 tablespoonful of cake flour or potato flour or corn starch
• 250g (8oz) bittersweet chocolate
• raspberries or strawberry's and whipped cream to decorate

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees (180c)
2. Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl setting over boiling water. Stir occasionally until it is completely melted
3. Using an electric mixer, beat up the egg yolks with the sugar until completely mixed, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the flour (corn starch) and beat for a minute more
5. In another bowl use the electric mixer to whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm
6. When the chocolate is melted, add the butter which has been cut into pieces and remove from the heat immediately when they are mixed after about 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the cold milk, a little bit at a time and stir well.
8. Now add this mixture to the egg yolk mixture and combine them together.
9. Fold in the egg whites very gently, but be sure it is completely mixed.
   
10. Butter and dust a 10 inch (25cm) cake tin with flour.
11. Pour in the mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F (180C).
12. When the cake is cold, dust with icing sugar and if you like decorate with fresh raspberries.

German Plum Cake

My Mom has a great recipe for German Plum Cake that I remember well as a child, however when I have ask her for it she can make it but nothing is measured so mines never quite the same. This one from Cooks.com is a good substitute although I have modified the crumb topping with one from a Banana Muffin recipe that I love. I think you could do this with several different fruits like Apples, or Peaches.

1/2 c. (112gms) butter
1/2 c  (102gms) sugar
2 eggs
1 c. (164gms)  flour
1 tsp. (4gm) baking powder
1/2 tsp. (2gm) salt
1/2 tsp.(2.5gm) almond extract
4 Plums, stones removed, cut into wedges (enough to cover the top)  

Crumb Topping
1/2 c. (112gms)  sugar
1/3 c. (55gms)  all-purpose flour
4 tbls. (56gms) chilled unsalted butter

Mix well butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and almond extract. Add to above sugar mixture. Mix just until blended. Butter a 9 x 9 baking pan. Press the plum wedges into top of batter that has been spread in pan. Sprinkle topping over plums. Squeeze a little lemon juice over plums if you have it. bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Peaches also work (2 each)