Guinness works its magic in this rich, luscious chocolate cake

You don’t have to raise a pint of Guinness to enjoy the famed Irish stout.

Whether or not it’s your beverage of choice at the pub, Guinness works its magic in this rich and luscious chocolate cake from Chris Honor’s first cookbook.

The Australian-born chef opened ChrisKitch, his North London restaurant, in 2013. This Guinness cake, sweetened with pitted dates, is one of the 100 recipes in his recently released book.

Guinness lends warm, spicy notes to the moist, decadent dessert, crowned with creamy white chocolate frosting. (Or, try Irish cream Frosting from East Coast food blogger Melanie Feehan, creator of A Beautiful Bite.)

Paired with a pint of porter or stout or Irish coffee, it’s a perfect dessert for St. Paddy’s Day.

Guinness, Date, Chocolate Cake

From “Big Flavors from a Small Kitchen” by Chris Honor with Laura Washburn Hutton

For the cake

8-ounce can of Guinness

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups superfine sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pitted dried dates, very finely chopped

For the frosting

3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup cream cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease and line an 8 ½-inch springform cake pan.

In a large saucepan, combine the Guinness and butter, and melt over low heat. Remove from the heat, add the cocoa powder and sugar, and stir to blend. Stir in the milk and vanilla, and then add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Put the baking soda, baking powder and flour into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the cocoa mixture, folding gently with a large spatula to blend thoroughly. Add the dates, give the batter a quick stir, and transfer it to the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry. Transfer to a wire rack, unlatch the pan and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. In a small bowl, stir together the melted chocolate and cream cheese to frost the cooled cake.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Irish Cream Frosting

From http://abeautifulbite.com

Here’s an alternative frosting by food blogger Melanie Feehan, who tops her own Guinness-Greek yogurt cake with this Irish cream-infused concoction.

4 sticks butter, at room temperature

8 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Irish cream (Feehan uses Bailey’s)

Chocolate curls, for garnish

In a stand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and Irish cream. Beat until fluffy. This takes a few minutes.

Cover the top of the cooled cake. Garnish with chocolate curls.