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

Creamy Potato Casserole

This is an excellent recipe if your a fan of Gruyere cheese and Dijon mustard, both of which I love. Follow the recipe closely as there are a few tricks to getting the potatos cooked through.

Ingredients

1 medium onion chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsbp Dijon style mustard
1 3/4 cups milk
4 oz of cream cheese
4 oz of Gruyere cheese
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives or green onions
6 red or Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/8" wedges
8 oz sliced cooked ham or canadian bacon

Preparation

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish with cover; set aside.

2) For sauce, in medium saucepan cook onion in hot butter over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender; stirring occationally.

3) Stir in flour and mustard.

4) Add milk all at once, cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low.

5) Whisk in cream cheese until smooth.

6) Gradually add 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese until cheese is melted. Sirt in Chives or Green onions.

7) In bowl combine potatoes, ham and sauce; toss gently to bombine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

8) Bake, covered, 1 hour or until potatoes are tender, stir carefully about every 20 minutes.

9) Uncover, and sprinkle with crushed chips and remaining cheese.

10) Bake uncovered for 15 minutes more or untli cheese is melted.

11) Let stand 10 minutes before serving,.

Cheesecake

This recipe is all about choices. You can make a Chocolate Chip Cheesecake using Chocolate crust and adding Chocolate chips to the basic recipe and topping with Sour Cream. Another option is Graham Cracker Crust with basic cheesecake and top it with (Comstock) Blueberry Pie filling.

Chocolate Cookie Crust
1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs or 2 rows of Chocolate Cream Oreos.
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Graham Cracker Crust
2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter melted

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate chip cheesecake
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Sour Cream topping.
1 pt Sour Cream
2/3 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla

Combine Crust crumbs and melted butter; press onto the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and flour, mixing at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla.

For Chocolate chip Cheesecake Stir in chocolate chips and pour into the crust.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 minutes. Add Sour Cream Topping here. Blend until smooth and pour over cheesecake then return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on rake then chill in Fridge. If applying a fruit topping add at after the Cheesecake has chilled.

Makes 12 servings.