My 26th birthday was two days ago, and I knew I had to bake something epic to celebrate. Some people think it’s weird and/or sad that I make my own birthday dessert. But honestly, that’s half of the fun! I love picking out something special and different to make each year for my birthday.
Plus, if anyone is hatin’ on it, I just tell them [jokingly, of course… I’m not actually that confident}: “Well, I have to be the one to bake my own birthday cake from scratch. That way I know it’ll be awesome!”
Needless to say, I always suggest making your own birthday cake. Even if other people think you’re silly, just let them know that it’ll be awesome. It’s a great way to treat yoself.
I just love Bundt cakes. They’re so effortlessly gorgeous. And I absolutely love using stout beers in chocolate cake. Once again, I used my favorite local St. Louis stout – 4 Hands Brewery’s Chocolate Milk Stout. It has cacao nibs in it, and it’s just the most amazing stout I’ve ever had. No joke.
You cannot taste the beer in the cake [although I’d be happy if you could!]; the stout just adds a lovely deep, rich, nuttiness to the cake. As for the chocolate ganache – what’s not to love? Ganache sounds so fancy, but it could not be more simple. It’s just plain dreamy.
This chocolate stout Bundt cake with chocolate ganache drizzled over it makes a lovely birthday cake. It reminds me of a giant double chocolate donut. And I’m okay with that.
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Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache.
Yield: One 12-cup bundt cake.
Ingredients:
– 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 3/4 tsp. baking soda
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1 cup [2 sticks] unsalted butter [Plus more for the pan]
– 3/4 cup stout beer
– 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
– 3 large eggs
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
– 1/2 cup sour cream
– 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan. {Note: With Bundt pans, you really need to butter/flour the pans very well, unless you like torn up, not-so-pretty cakes.}
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Set a small saucepan over medium heat, and heat up the butter and beer. Stir it and keep heated until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat and add eight (8) ounces of the chocolate. Stir until it’s smooth.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugars on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture, then add the sour cream. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Be careful to not overmix.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan, then bake approximately 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. {Note: Oven times/temperatures will vary, but mine only had to bake for about 40-45 minutes.} Allow the cake to cool 30 minutes in the pan [set pan on a cooling rack], then invert it onto the wire rack so it can cool completely.
6. To make the chocolate ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan just until it starts to boil. Remove it from the heat, then add the remainder of the chopped chocolate [4 ounces] and let it sit for five minutes. Stir until it’s smooth, then drizzle it over the cooled cake. Cover and store at room temperature.
– Recipe from Handle the Heat.
