Chocolate Irish Stout Cake- Aga Recipe

A delectable and indulgent treat, this is no ordinary chocolate cake. Using the malty Irish stout adds a rich depth to the chocolate and creates a moist sponge, not too dissimilar to a red velvet cake. Paired with a rich creamy frosting, this cake is perfect as a light dessert or afternoon treat.

We used our showroom ESSE 1000 X PRO Range Cooker to bake this delicious cake. Even heat distribution is almost a must for baking the perfect cake; the ESSE’s power sharing technology utilises heat efficiently, sending it to areas in the oven that need it most. The surround element design heats food evenly giving the perfect bake. If baking in an ESSE, leave the steam vents closed. 

The Aga is also a great choice for a moist bake. If baking on a traditional 3 or 4 oven Aga, then the baking oven offers a good temperature for an even bake. On a traditional 2 oven Aga, use a cold shelf in the roasting oven to help create a cold zone and dull the heat to prevent browning too quickly.

If using an Eletrickit Aga conversion, set the top oven to 180 degrees.

Irish Stout Cake:

225ml Irish stout - we used a Dorset brewed Gyle 59

250g unsalted butter

75g cocoa powder

25g dark chocolate

375g caster sugar

150ml sour cream

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

275g of plain flour

2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting:

250g cream cheese

150ml double cream

150g icing sugar

1 tbsp Cornflour

Method: 

  1. Set the oven to about 180 degrees, grease and line a 23cm tin.

  2. Add the Irish stout to a pan and add the butter, cut into cubes. Gently bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to melt the butter. Add the chocolate. Stir until melted.

  3. Combine the cocoa powder and sugar in a bowl. In a jug mix the sour cream, eggs and vanilla until combined, then add to the Irish stout mix.

  4. Sieve the flour and bicarb into the cocoa and sugar mixture before adding the Irish stout mixture. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

  5. Add the mixture to the lined tin and place into the oven for 40-50mins, until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

To make to icing:

  1. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. In a separate bowl beat the soft cheese, icing sugar and cornflour. Mix the cream into the cream cheese mixture.

  2. Spread evenly over the cold cake and chill before serving.