This rich, fudgy Guinness chocolate cake is finished with a luscious caramel chocolate fudge frosting. It’s an impressive centerpiece for St. Patrick’s Day but elegant and flavorful enough for any celebration.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
Quick summary of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full details.
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Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Servings
12 Slices
Difficulty
Moderate — clear, step-by-step instructions.
Calories *
776 kcal per serving
Technique
Make cake, prepare frosting, cool and assemble.
Flavor Profile
Deep chocolate and stout notes balanced by salted caramel fudge.
* Based on nutrition panel
This Guinness chocolate cake completely changed my cake game! It’s the most deeply flavored, fudgy cake I’ve ever made. The caramel fudge frosting is next-level, and letting it cool to room temperature before spreading made a huge difference. A perfect showstopper for any celebration! 🍫🍺 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mara
Guinness brings coffee, malt, and dark fruit notes that enhance the chocolate and caramel flavors. This cake is so satisfying you’ll want to make it year-round, not just on St. Patrick’s Day.
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Guinness Chocolate Cake
- Professional Tips for Making Guinness Chocolate Cake
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Possible Variations
- How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake
- Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Before You Go
Why You Will Love This Guinness Chocolate Cake
Guinness enhances the chocolate. The stout offers subtle chocolate and coffee notes that pair perfectly with a chocolate cake.
Moist, rich texture. Light brown sugar, chocolate, and sour cream produce a tender, deeply flavored crumb.
Silky caramel fudge frosting. A ganache base with added caramel creates a smooth, decadent frosting that isn’t overly sweet.
Professional Tips for Making Guinness Chocolate Cake
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Butter, eggs, and sour cream at room temperature help create a smooth emulsion and a tender crumb.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting. Any residual heat will soften the frosting and can make it slide.
- Be gentle with the ganache-based frosting. Over-whisking can break the emulsion; if it splits, add a little cold cream and fold gently to rescue it.
- Serve at room temperature. Both the cake texture and the frosting flavor are best when not chilled.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For the cake:
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder: Use Dutch-processed for a deep, mellow chocolate flavor; natural cocoa will work if that’s what you have.
- Bittersweet or dark chocolate: Chopped bittersweet balances sweetness. If using dark chocolate, choose 60%+ cocoa to avoid excess sweetness.
- Espresso powder: Intensifies both the chocolate and the stout.
- Guinness beer: The recipe calls for ¾ cup; enjoy the rest or use it in another recipe.
- All-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture and reacts with baking soda for lift. Full-fat Greek yogurt can substitute.
- Unsalted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla, eggs.
For the frosting:
- Heavy cream: Full-fat cream (40%) yields the most stable ganache.
- Light corn syrup or honey: Adds shine and smooth texture; honey is an easy swap.
- Dark chocolate (50–65%): Balances sweetness in the frosting.
- Vanilla, kosher salt, Dutch cocoa, butter.
- Salted caramel sauce: Use store-bought or a homemade sauce; adjust quantity to taste.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Possible Variations
- Change the frosting. Try Swiss meringue buttercream, cream cheese buttercream, or a classic chocolate buttercream.
- Make it a sheet cake. Bake in a 9×13 pan and reduce bake time to about 20–22 minutes, testing until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Add decorations. Top with chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or pipe the fudge frosting for a polished look.
- Mix-ins. Stir in chocolate chips, white chocolate, or dried/frozen cherries for texture and flavor contrast.
How to Make Guinness Chocolate Cake
Below is an overview of the method; follow the recipe card for precise measurements.
Make the cake:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by buttering or spraying and lining the bottoms with parchment circles.
Step 2: Combine the cocoa, chopped chocolate, and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl.
Step 3: Bring the Guinness just to a simmer. Pour the hot beer over the chocolate mixture and let it sit for a minute to melt.
Step 4: Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 5: While the chocolate cools, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Step 6: When the chocolate is cooled, whisk in the sour cream.
Step 7: Cream the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions.
Step 8: With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Finish folding by hand if needed.
Step 9: Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake 30–35 minutes, until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Step 10: Cool the cakes 10 minutes in the pans, run a knife around the edges, and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the caramel fudge frosting:
Step 11: Place chopped chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a heatproof bowl.
Chop the chocolate finely even if using chips; with the amount of cream in this recipe, smaller pieces melt more reliably.
Step 12: Bring the heavy cream to a boil, pour over the chocolate, cover, and let sit 2 minutes. Whisk slowly from the center outward to form a smooth emulsion.
Step 13: Sift and whisk in the cocoa powder to avoid lumps, then add cubed butter and stir until incorporated.
Step 14: Stir in the salted caramel sauce (about 1 cup, or to taste). Cover the surface with plastic and cool to room temperature; refrigerate and stir every 10 minutes to speed cooling if needed.
Assemble the cake:
Step 15: Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Spread about 1 cup of cooled frosting evenly over the top.
Step 16: Add the second layer, spread another cup of frosting on top and apply frosting to the sides. Finish with additional swirls or decorative piping as desired.
Step 17: Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 3 days. The cake is easiest to slice and tastes best when brought back to room temperature if chilled. Cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped, and frozen for up to one month before assembly.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
The frosting can be made ahead and stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to a month or frozen for up to three months. To reuse, gently warm in short bursts in a microwave at reduced power, or reheat over a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth. Cool to the consistency you need before spreading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfrosted cake layers kept well-wrapped stay fresh at room temperature for up to three days, in the fridge for a week, or frozen for up to two months. Store unused frosting airtight in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Once frosted, the assembled cake keeps at room temperature for up to three days.
Either works. Draught (nitrogen-infused) is smoother and softer; extra-stout (carbon dioxide) is crisper with a bit more bitterness. Choose based on the flavor balance you prefer.
Yes. The recipe converts to about 36 cupcakes. Fill liners slightly over halfway and bake 15–18 minutes, testing for doneness.
You can substitute another stout or dark beer, but avoid light lagers or IPAs, which may introduce bitter or floral notes that don’t pair well with the chocolate.
Serve with coffee, a glass of red wine, or a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. A drizzle of extra caramel or a light crème anglaise also pairs nicely.
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a star rating and share your feedback in the comments — I love hearing how it turned out for you.
Guinness Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Guinness Chocolate Cake:
- ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¾ cup Guinness beer
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
For the Caramel Fudge Frosting:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey
- 10 ounces dark chocolate (50–70% cocoa), chopped
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce
Instructions
To Make the Guinness chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and parchment circles.
- Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder. Heat the Guinness to a simmer, pour over the chocolate, whisk until smooth, and cool to room temperature.
- Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. When the chocolate cools, whisk in sour cream.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until pale. Beat in eggs one at a time. Batter may look separated—this is normal.
- On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the chocolate mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Fold gently to combine.
- Divide batter between pans and bake 30–35 minutes, until a tester shows a few moist crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in pans, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the frosting:
- Place chopped chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Cover and let sit 2 minutes.
- Whisk from the center outward to form an emulsion. Sift in cocoa powder and whisk. Add cubed butter and stir until incorporated.
- Stir in salted caramel sauce to taste. Cover and cool to room temperature, or chill briefly and stir every 10 minutes until spreadable.
Assemble the layer cake:
- Place one layer on a cake stand and spread about 1 cup cooled frosting. Top with the second layer and frost the top and sides. Decorate as desired.
- Serve at room temperature. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; bring back to room temperature before serving for best texture.
Notes
Presentation: Serve at room temperature for the best texture and flavor. If refrigerated, allow at least two hours to come to room temperature before serving.
Flavor Tip – Choose chocolate with 50% cocoa for a milder frosting or 60% for a richer, less sweet result.
Storage — Unfrosted layers: room temperature for three days, refrigerated for a week, or frozen for up to two months. Frosting keeps refrigerated for up to two weeks. Once frosted, the cake is best at room temperature and will keep for up to three days.
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you like chocolate and caramel, try other cake recipes and desserts that highlight similar flavors for more baking inspiration.