A great recipe for St Patrick's Day

Celebrate this St Patrick’s Day with AVOCA’s Chocolate and Guinness Cake. Rich in colour and flavour, this festive favourite is topped with a creamy frosting and a healthy dusting of cocoa powder. Slice, serve and sláinte!

Cake:

250 mls Guinness stout

250g unsalted butter

75g cocoa powder

400 g castar sugar

150ml sour cream or crème fraiche

2 large free range eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

275g plain flour

2.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Frosting:

300g cream cheese

150g icing sugar

2 teaspoons cornflour

125 mls heavy cream

Method:

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4/180 degrees celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 23cm/9 inch cake tin.

Pour the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan, add the butter and heat until melted. Take off the heat.

Add the cocoa powder and sugar into the butter, Mix well.

Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and pour into the butter mixture. Finally sieve in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until combined, but be careful not to over-mix.

Pour the cake batter into the cake tin, and bake for 45 mins to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin or on a cooling rack.

Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve the icing sugar and corn flour and then beat to combine until light and fluffy.

Add the cream to your desired consistency of frosting that you like.

Spread the top of the cake with the delicious frosting. Enjoy!