from Farmleigh, Castleknock, Co.Dublin
I’ve made chocolate cake with Guinness before, but this is a delicious alternative. Dense in texture, this cake resembles more a fruit cake than chocolate cake. For this recipe, using Guinness in both the cake and frosting adds a caramel taste that I haven’t experienced in other fruit cakes. Poking holes after the batter is baked to add a bit of Guinness, elevated the flavor of the grapefruit rind. If you are not a fan of grapefruit because it maybe too bitter for you, it can be omitted from this recipe. Instead just use the orange rind.
Ingredients:
2 ( 4 ounces each) butter sticks, at room temperature
11/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups shifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup mixture of orange and grapefruit zests
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cherries, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
6 tablespoons Guinness beer (Save the remainder of the Guinness to add to the cake after its baked)
Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Guinness beer
Yields: a 7- inch round cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Method:
Preheat oven to 325°f and grease a 7-inch round cake pan.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter with sugar until nice and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time until each is well incorporated.
Add the allspice. Followed by the flour.
Remove the bowl from the stand.
With a wooden spoon, fold in the cherries and walnuts until they’re completely coated by the batter.
Add 6 tablespoons of the Guinness beer. Place in the cake pan, and bake for 1 hour.
To make the icing, add the powdered sugar in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the remaining beer until you obtain a smooth mixture.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan.
Un-mold the cake and place on a plate upside down.
Prick the base with a skewer and spoon over 1/4 cup of Guinness beer.
Let the cake rest for about half an hour before turning over on a nice cake plate to spoon the icing over the top.
