Guinness Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Fudgy & Rich)

Originally published March 2019 · Last updated March 2026

Whoever said "don't bake with beer" clearly never had a Guinness chocolate cake. Consider this your official St. Patrick's Day hall pass to raid the fridge, ignore the clock, and turn a stout into a dark, decadent dessert. Irish or not, the "baking purposes only" excuse starts now.

⬇️ Jump to Recipe

The Cast of Characters

Before we dive into the dark arts, let's talk about the lineup. We're combining the bitterness of 75g of high-quality cocoa with the malty depth of 250ml of Guinness. The sour cream is our secret weapon here — it ensures the crumb stays dense and fudgy rather than airy and forgettable.

The Process: From Pint to Plate

1. The Great Meltdown

We start by simmering the Guinness and butter together. It sounds like a medieval tonic, but it's the foundation of flavour. Whisk in your cocoa and sugar until you have a glossy, chocolatey lake that smells like a dream you don't want to wake up from.

2. The Dairy Gathering

In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. This is the "glue" that brings the richness. Pour this into your cooled stout-cocoa mixture. It'll look like a science experiment for a second, but keep whisking — it'll turn into a smooth, dark velvet batter.

3. The Folding Ritual

Gently fold in your self-raising flour. We aren't trying to beat the life out of it; we want to incorporate it just until the white streaks disappear. Pour it into a lined tin and bake until the kitchen smells better than a Dublin pub at 5 PM on a Friday.

Once it comes out of the oven, resist every instinct to prod, slice, or even hover too eagerly. This is a wonderfully damp cake — it needs time to settle and find itself. Let it cool completely in the tin, and it will reward your patience with a crumb that is almost brownie-like in its density: fudgy, dark, and deeply satisfying.

And that texture? It's the whole point. No dry, cakey layers here — just a close, yielding crumb that holds together beautifully under the weight of all that cream cheese topping.

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Topping (Fudgy & Rich)

A deeply rich, moist, and indulgent chocolate stout cake — dark and bittersweet, crowned with a billowing cloud of cream cheese topping that mimics the frothy head of a perfectly poured pint.

• Prep: 20–30 mins
• Cook: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 250 ml Guinness stout
• 250 g unsalted butter
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 400 g caster sugar
• 140 ml sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 275 g self-raising flour

For the Topping:

• 300 g full-fat cream cheese
• 150 g icing sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 125 ml double cream (or whipping cream)

Instructions

1. Prepare the tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment.
2. Melt the base: Pour the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan and add the butter in slices. Warm over a medium heat until fully melted, then whisk in the cocoa powder and caster sugar until smooth and glossy.
3. Add the wet ingredients: In a jug, beat together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into the warm chocolate mixture and stir to combine, then sift in the flour and mix to a smooth batter.
4. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack — this is a wonderfully damp cake and needs time to settle.
5. Make the topping base: Once the cake is fully cold, beat the cream cheese until silky-smooth. Sift over the icing sugar and cornflour, then beat again until well combined.
6. Finish the topping — choose your cream:
   Using double cream:Add it directly to the cream cheese mixture and beat to a thick, spreadable consistency.
   Using whipping cream:Whip separately to soft peaks. Fold a spoonful into the cream cheese to loosen it, then gently fold through the rest to keep it light.
7. Frost and serve: Pile the topping generously on top of the cake, spreading it to the edges so it resembles the creamy white head of a freshly poured pint. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and serve.

The Grand Finale & What to Drink With It

This cake is heavy — in a good way. It demands a companion that can cut through the richness. A glass of cold milk is the classic choice, but if you're leaning into the theme, a small glass of Port or even a neat Espresso works wonders. The bitterness of the coffee echoes the malt in the cake, making every bite feel like a decadent event.

Now close the laptop, stop reading, and go bake it. St. Patrick himself wouldn't want that Guinness going to waste. Follow @themaxterchef for more recipes that make you look far more talented than you actually are.