Best chocolate cake ever!!!

We have tried out a fair share of chocolate cake and without doubt, this is the best chocolate cake we have ever had. It's rich and chocolatey without being too dense and sickeningly sweet. If making the cake for a birthday/party we recommend using a crumb buttercream and the middle layer can be either cream and strawberries or a chocolate ganache.

If making this cake for dessert we recommend serving it warm with fresh cream and strawberries.

If making a 2 layer cake you wish to decorate with buttercream then follow the recipe below.

If making a one-layer cake without any buttercream half the recipe below and only use one cake pan.

Ingredients

• 275g of self-raising flour

• 150g of dutch-processed cocoa powder (Substitution for 150 grams of Dutch-processed cocoa: 150 grams of natural cocoa powder plus (1 3/4 teaspoon) baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 500ml of Guinness

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 espresso shot /1.5 tablespoon espresso powder

• 350g of caster sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 350g of unsalted butter

• 180g of mayonnaise

• 150g of dairy milk chocolate

Buttercream -

• 340g butter, at room temperature, we use salted but unsalted works too.

• 570g of icing sugar. (if you don't have icing sugar, blend up caster sugar in a Nutri bullet/blender)

• The cooled smaller tin of cake, broken up.

• 4 Tbsp heavy cream/double cream.

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Grease and line three 8-inch (20 cm) cake tins with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the stout, vanilla, and espresso or espresso powder. Set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar until it has doubled in size and can hold the figure eight. Set aside

5. Cream the butter until white and fluffy. Add the mayonnaise and mix until combined.

6. Preheat the oven to 160˚C

7. Chop up the chocolate into chunks

8. Begin folding half the flour mixture, a little at a time into the egg mixture. Do not over mix or you will lose air bubbles.

9. Mix the other half of the flour mixture and the stout into the creamed butter. Use a handheld mixer to ensure it combines.

10. Fold the butter mixture into the eggs slowly. Do not over-mix. Once it is combined add the chocolate chunks.

11. If you are making a crumb buttercream which we recommend - Divide the batter between the pans at a ratio of 2/5 of the mixture in two pans and 1/5 in the other. If making a regular buttercream divide the batter equally into the three cake pans

12. Bake for approx 35minutes. The smaller cake with cook faster, check cakes using a toothpick. Once it comes out clean it is ready. The cake will be a very dark brown color almost black.

13. Leave the cake in the tins for approx 20 minutes, then take them out to cool on a rack.

Buttercream frosting

1. Blend the butter until it is white and fluffy.

2. Combine the icing sugar a little at a time until fully combined.

3. Add the smaller tin of the chocolate cake, cream, and vanilla and mix to combine.

Cake assembly.

1. Use either whipped cream or a chocolate ganache to cover the first layer.

2. Place the second layer on top of the first and cover the cake with the crumb butter cream. Smooth the frosting using a straight blade metal spatula. Keep a cup of warm water and clean off any excess icing from the spatula after each smooth.

Decoration ideas

1. Use a piping bag to decorate the cake with the remaining frosting.

2. Place fruit around the cake.

3. Cover with chopped roasted hazelnuts.

4. Drip melted chocolate along the sides.

Enjoy!

Comment below if you tried the cake and how it worked out!