Cocktails and cake each rank high on my list of favorite things. When they get together, happy hour just got a whole lot happier. Not only is the idea of a cocktail cake just plain fun from the get-go, spirits and/or beer offer an unexpected complexity of flavors to a cake. Bonus: They create moistness and tenderness.
For St. Patrick’s Day, here's a boozy chocolate Bundt cake that’s perfect for the occasion. Its inspiration is the Irish Slammer, an iconic fizzy shot. The cocktail combines Guinness Stout, Irish whiskey, and Irish cream liqueur. The cake begins with a stout spiked batter. The dark bold beer imparts a rich, roasty flavor and brings out the deep flavor of the chocolate. Drizzled over the top is a smooth Irish Whisky Glaze that is so heavenly you’ll be tempted to drink it. Finally, Puffs of Irish Cream Frosting top things
off. Make sure to get every layer on your fork so you don’t miss the cake’s magical mix of flavors. You’ll find that eating your cocktail is even better than drinking it.
Irish Slammer Cake
1 cup Guinness Stout
1 stick butter
¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
Irish Whiskey Glaze
Irish Cream Frosting
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray.
Heat stout and butter in a saucepan over medium low heat to melt butter. Remove from heat.
Whisk in cocoa. Cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs on medium speed until blended. Mix in sour cream. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Beat until just combined.
Add flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, beating until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35-38 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool 30 minutes in pan. Invert cake onto a serving plate. Carefully remove pan. Cool.
Spoon warm Irish Whiskey Glaze around top of cake. Cool.
Fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe in dollops over glaze.
Irish Whiskey Glaze
¼ cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons dark corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, combine cream, corn syrup and chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
Stir in whiskey. Keep warm until ready to use.
Irish Cream Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons Irish Cream
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 2 minutes on medium speed.
Turn to low. Beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until smooth.
Add remaining ingredients and beat 2 minutes. Add fourth cup of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.