St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah is a holiday with a capital H! Schools are off, banks close, businesses shutter until after THE PARADE. A half a million visitors descend on our fine city to celebrate with us. If you have never experienced Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day, well, it is a bucket list item for sure.
Yes, there is plenty of alcohol…we do offer “to go” cups in the Historic District after all. While I love a drink every now and again, I prefer to celebrate with cake….Chocolate Stout Cake made with Guinness and Baileys Mousse and oh yeah, Baileys Buttercream!
This dark, moist, chocolate cake always makes an appearance on our St. Patrick’s Day menu. For those who aren’t beer drinkers, don’t be deterred from giving this cake a try. The beer gives the cake a nice richness without the lingering taste. This recipe is from King Arthur Flour. I added the vanilla because, everything is better with vanilla.
I LOVE Baileys so why not dress our chocolate stout cake up with ganache, mousse and buttercream all flavored with Baileys! Not a fan of chocolate, the Baileys fillings and frostings will pair beautifully with vanilla cake, too. Erin go Bragh!
Get all the recipes below…
Chocolate Stout Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat 350° F. Use either three 8” or two 9” round cake pans. Line pans with parchment and spray with pan release or grease and flour.
- Into a large, heavy duty pan, add beer and butter. Heat until the butter melts. Remove the pan from heat and add cocoa powder. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat eggs and sour cream.
- Add the stout-cocoa mixture (cooled to room temperature.). Mix to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and mix together at slow speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl and mix for 1 minute.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes for 8” pans or 45-50 minutes for 9” pans. When toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, or with a few crumbs the cake is done.
- Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on rack for to cool until just warm. Wrap warm cake in two layers of saran wrap and let finish cooling.
Notes
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature
Not all unsweetened cocoa is created equal. This recipe calls for a Dutched Process Cocoa and if you use an unsweetened cocoa instead, the result will not be the same. Dutch processed cocoa can be found in the grocery store. Ghirardelli, Droste, Hershey, and Guittard are a few brands, usually found in the grocery store.
A delicious, creamy, dark chocolate ganache flavored with Baileys Irish Cream is the perfect accompaniment to our Guinness Chocolate Stout Cake. This ganache is made for bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate only.
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Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
Instructions
- This recipe works ONLY with bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate.
- In a large mixing bowl, place chopped chocolate or chocolate callets and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add heavy cream. Over medium low heat, heat cream until bubbles form around the peripheral of the pan. DO NOT let cream come to a rolling bowl.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate. Cover with foil for 2 minutes.
- Using a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together until full incorporated and chocolate is completely melted. Add Baileys Irish Cream and stir into incorporated.
- Cover with foil and let cool out on counter overnight.
Notes
Ganache can sit out unrefrigerated for 2 days. Refrigerated for 2 weeks. Frozen for 6 months.
Other liquors can be substituted for the Baileys Irish Cream.
If chocolate doesn’t fully melt, microwave on low for 15 second intervals, stirring between each 15 seconds.
The chocolate is the real star of this recipe. Use the best tasting coverture chocolate you can find. Callebaut is my personal favorite. Use what tastes good to you. Fine chocolates such as Lindt Chocolate can usually be found on the candy aisle at most grocery stores.
Baileys Irish Cream Mousse
Ingredients
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add heavy cream, pudding mix, and Baileys Irish Cream.
- Using the whisk attachment, beat on low for 1 minute then turn the mixer to medium – medium high and mix until stiff peaks form.
Notes
Makes a yummy filling for cakes!
Be sure to keep the mousse refrigerated
A variation of the Faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream, the Baileys Irish Cream Version is sublime! It pairs nicely with chocolate cake or vanilla cake. Paired with the Chocolate Stout Cake…it is decadence of the best kind!
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Baileys Irish Cream Buttercream
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine egg whites and powdered sugar in a heavy duty mixing bowl with whisk attachment.
- Whisk on low to combine. Once combined, turn mixer to high and whisk for 5-10 minutes until stiff peaks have formed.
- Turn mixer off and switch from whisk to a paddle attachment.
- With mixer on low speed, begin adding butter a few pieces at a time until all butter has been added.
- Mix on medium low until buttercream is creamy, about 5-10 minutes
- Add salt, vanilla extract, Baileys Irish Cream, and beat on low until incorporated.
Notes
Have ingredients at room temperature.
After adding butter, the mixture will break, or look soupy. Walk away and let the mixer do its job.
Store at room temp for 3 days, refrigerate for 2 weeks, freezer for 3 months.
Bring cold/frozen buttercream to room temperature and beat on low with paddle before using.
Don’t skimp on the flavoring! This recipe will taste like whipped butter if you don’t add enough flavoring.
Pasteurized egg whites can be found in a carton in the egg department of most grocery stores. Be sure to select a carton of egg whites only!
Fresh egg whites are not suitable for this recipe because they have not been exposed to heat in order to destroy potential bacteria.
If the buttercream has a lot of air bubbles, microwave it in 10 second intervals on high until you see a small amount of melted butter around the top rim of the bowl. Return to mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat on low. This will return the buttercream to a smooth and creamy state.
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Looks divine.
The photo shows a four layer cake, while the recipe says it makes two 9″ or three 8″.
Is the recipe correct or was the cake recipe made twice?
Were the frosting and filling measurements for a two layer or four?
Do you know if these recipes can be doubled?
Thanks! The cake pictured was actually a 6” cake. This recipe will yield four 6” layers. Sorry for the confusion. The frosting will be enough for one cake recipe. You will probably have some leftover mousse. Left over mousse can be frozen and used at a later date. I have doubled the mousse and frosting with no problem. I haven’t doubled the cake recipe but it should double just fine. Thank you!
Can I make the mousse with chocolate pudding instead? 🤔
You sure can!