This rich Guinness cake is a soft, moist, and full-flavored chocolate cake infused with dark stout beer and frosted with creamy Baileys frosting. Even if you’re not a Guinness fan, you’ll love how it brings out the fudgy flavor in this cake!
If you love this recipe, try more chocolate desserts like my chocolate rum cake and this easy mudslide poke cake!
Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Frosting
This Guinness cake is a moist dark chocolate cake with a deep, fudgy flavor thanks to Irish stout beer. It’s a fun spin on my favorite chocolate cake recipe, with a few tweaks to accommodate the extra leavening from the beer. I love chocolatey, deliciously boozy desserts like my Baileys chocolate cheesecake, so I’m super excited to share this incredible chocolate Guinness cake! Since I love Baileys Irish Cream, too, I topped this chocolate stout cake with the creamiest Baileys frosting. It’s the best.
Why I Love This Guinness Cake Recipe
- Easy to make. There aren’t layers or stacking involved, so this Guinness cake bakes in one pan. It’s a simple recipe with loads of rich chocolate flavor.
- Perfect for the holidays. Of course, Guinness and St. Patrick’s Day are a perfect match, but this cake is great for just about any holiday. It’s extra indulgent, with an adult twist thanks to the Baileys frosting. I’ll make it for Christmas and even Thanksgiving dessert!
- Moist and chocolatey. Even if you aren’t a fan of Guinness beer, you’d be hard-pressed to resist this soft chocolate cake. The bitterness of the stout gets balanced out by the fudgy sweetness of the cake, and the texture is so unbelievably tender.
Ingredient Notes
The ultimate chocolate cake with Guinness comes down to a few key ingredients, which I cover here. The goal is to add plenty of moisture and rich cocoa flavor to compliment the flavor of the stout. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable ingredients list with the full recipe amounts.
- Oil – Most of my cake and cupcake recipes use oil instead of butter, for an ultra-tender texture. Choose a neutral-flavored vegetable oil, like canola.
- Sour Cream – The second secret to the softest cakes. This can be full-fat or low-fat sour cream. You can also use Greek yogurt. Bring it to room temperature before you start.
- Cocoa Powder – I like to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give this cake a darker color and a more intense, fudgy flavor. Check out my guide on natural vs. Dutch-processed cocoa powder for details. You’ll want to sift dry ingredients like flour and cocoa powder to break up any lumps.
- Espresso Powder – Optional, but recommended! You won’t taste the coffee, but espresso powder helps deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Guinness Beer – Guinness is an Irish stout. Stouts are dark beers, with cocoa and coffee-like flavors that compliment this chocolate cake perfectly. Guinness is widely available, but you can use any dark or stout beer you’d prefer. Just make sure it’s cold from the fridge.
- Baileys Irish Cream – Keeping with the Irish theme, I frost this Guinness cake with a variation of classic buttercream frosting made with Baileys Irish Cream liqueur.
Is Guinness Cake Alcoholic?
Yes and no. Stouts contain alcohol, however, almost all the alcohol in a Guinness cake cooks out as it bakes. This makes the unfrosted chocolate cake OK for little ones.
That being said, the frosting I use for this cake contains cream liqueur and therefore is not meant for kids or anyone avoiding alcohol. Instead, you can replace the Baileys frosting with an alcohol-free alternative, like vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream. I include more options further on.
How to Make a Chocolate Guinness Cake
I make this chocolate Guinness cake in one layer, and the batter comes together in minutes. The longest (and hardest) step is waiting for the cake to cool! Follow the quick summary here, and scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Mix the cake batter. Start by creaming the wet ingredients together, and sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter, alternating with the Guinness until that’s combined.
- Bake. Pour the cake batter into a greased 9×13” pan, and bake at 350ºF for 28-30 minutes. Afterward, leave the cake to cool completely to room temperature before you frost it.
- Make the frosting. Meanwhile, soften the butter for the frosting. When ready, whip the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla, then add the Baileys. Give the frosting a good whip so that it’s light and fluffy.
- Frost the cake. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. I like to dust my cake with cocoa powder and decorate it with chocolate shavings. See below for more decorating ideas.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Sift the dry ingredients. For this recipe, measure first, and sift after. Sifting breaks apart any lumps in the flour and cocoa powder, for a smooth, even cake batter.
- Avoid over measuring. It’s important to measure your flour correctly so that this chocolate cake turns out moist and tender. Overmeasuring the dry ingredients will make the cake dry. A kitchen scale is your best bet, otherwise, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off. Never scoop directly from the bag!
- Soften the butter for the frosting. Take your butter out of the fridge ahead of time so that it can soften to room temperature. This way, it beats much more smoothly with the frosting ingredients. If you forget, you can soften butter quickly by warming it in the microwave for 10 seconds and cutting it into cubes.
- Make a layer cake. You can make this a two-layer cake by baking the batter in two standard 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans. The baking times may vary, so keep an eye on the cakes while they bake and test for doneness using a toothpick (see above).
- Make cupcakes. This recipe makes enough batter for 24 Guinness cupcakes. Prepare the batter as usual and bake in a lined cupcake pan instead. I recommend baking for 15 minutes at 350ºF, and adding time as needed. You might also like these triple Irish cream cupcakes.
More Ways to Decorate a Guinness Cake
Use any leftover frosting to pipe swirls or rosettes over the cake (see my tutorials on how to use a piping bag and how to use piping tips).
- Chocolate ganache. Finish this cake with a drizzle of homemade chocolate ganache or salted caramel sauce.
- Different frosting. Instead of Baileys frosting, try whipped ganache frosting or brown butter frosting. I think this Guinness cake would also taste amazing topped with coffee frosting.
- More add-ons. Garnish your cake with shaved or chopped chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate whipped cream, or sprinkles. I like to make this cake for St. Patrick’s Day and color the frosting green! See my tips on how to color buttercream.
How to Store
- Storing. The frosted Guinness cake is fine to store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, I recommend refrigerating and only serving at room temperature.
- Freezing. Try to freeze the chocolate cake before frosting where possible. Let the cake cool, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the cake to room temperature and then frost as directed.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
Chocolate Guinness Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 43 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Guinness cake is a soft and fudgy, full-flavored chocolate cake recipe infused with dark stout beer and frosted with creamy Baileys Irish Cream frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ cups (285g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180g) sour cream, at room temprature
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ cup (40g) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tablespoon (5g) espresso powder (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons (5g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 ¼ cup (355 ml) Guinness, cold
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 4 cups (520g) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons (44ml) Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Next mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. To the batter, alternate adding half the dry ingredients followed by half of the Guinness and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 28-30 minutes. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the Frosting
- Remove the butter from the refrigerator and microwave for 10 seconds. Cut the butter into 1-inch blocks. Beat the butter for 2-4 minutes until it is softened and silky.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Next, add the remaining powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, followed by the Baileys. Start beating slowly until the ingredients are incorporated and then increase the speed to high and beat for another minute or two until the frosting is light and fluffy,
- Spread frosting over the cooled cake and then dust with cocoa powder, sprinkles or chocolate ganache. Keep in an airtight container.
Notes
Storage
- An unfrosted cake can be stored either at room temperature or in the freezer. Bake as directed, cool completely. If you’re planning to serve within two days, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. A fully frosted Guinness Chocolate Cake will last in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature.
- To freeze, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw to room temperature, then add the frosting and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 494
- Sugar: 52.9 g
- Sodium: 268.9 mg
- Fat: 20.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 72.4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg
I’d like to make this into a double layer 9×13″ cake. Would you recommend doubling the recipe or just slicing this one in half? Or would it be too crumbly/thin? I only need to feed 8 people but I’d like the surface area to decorate.
Thanks!
Hi Lauren, for 8 people, a double layer 9×13 cake would be quite a lot of cake, so if you want to have lots of leftovers, then you could double the recipe. Do you have two smaller pans like 9inch or 8-inch squares? You could split a single recipe in half and bake the two layers.
I do but I’m decorating it as a golf course so I need some surface area lol. Would I be able to divide this batter into two 9×13 pans to have two thin layers? Or would that be way too thin?
I would be worried it would be too thin
A magical frosting with the perfect balance to this cake!
Thank you so much Jaina! I am so happy you enjoyed it!
***Update**** The frosting tastes better with time. I taste the baileys much more a few days later. Awesomeness
Thanks for sharing!
Cake is so Moist and Yummy . It has a Rich Chocolate flavour with a hint of Guinness. I would have wanted more irish cream flavour in the frosting but it was still great nonetheless. I received great reviews for the cake and i’m so happy i came across the recipe.
That’s wonderful, thank you for sharing!
Have you ever made this into cupcakes?
Not yet, but I plan to. It should work just fine. 14-16 minutes in the oven!
I made the recipe into cupcakes last night, and they turned out beautifully! It made 24 and I baked for 15 minutes, and they were perfect! Thank you!