Garrison Stout Chocolate Cake

Dessert is not something we indulge in on a regular basis, but every now and then it's a must! We have our favourites; creme brule and strawberry & rhubarb fool topped with chocolate mint and I'm sure you have yours. Chocolate cake has never been high on my list, that is, until recently. I suspect the reason for not liking this dessert, loved by so many, was simply due to having been deprived of a good chocolate cake made from scratch. Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines...I love you Mom, but I think I'll pass.

This cake is not just a chocolate cake, but rather a chocolate STOUT cake. It came about through love, not of chocolate, but of a Vancouver Island raised lad who loves his beer. His recent quest to sample all the local beers of Halifax and rate them, in a search for the best Canadian microbrewed beer, was the inspiration. I needed a delectable birthday cake; trying to top a cake made by a friend, a trained pastry chef, is no small feat. I had big shoes to fill! The beer diary poured ideas my way and with the aid of the Internet a chocolate cake was taking shape. I found what I thought to be a recipe worthy of undertaking and made my way to the local microbreweries. I needed the perfect secret ingredient!

One of the many wonderful things about Halifax is that we are blessed with a great selection of micro-brewed local beer. I scouted the options at Propellor, Granite Brewery and The Garrison and settled on the The Garrison Martello Stout, a heavily roasted malt beer with a big bold flavour. This was the perfect ingredient for the Halifax Stout Chocolate Birthday Cake.

The all important stout...

Cake necessities:

2 cups Garrison Martello Stout (or stout of choice...I may try Pumphouse Scotch Ale next time)

2 cups unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

4 cups all purpose flour

4 cups sugar

1 tbsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs (free range)

1 1/3 cups sour cream

Icing necessities:

1 L whipping cream

1 package of Jello powder crystals (I opted for vanilla)

Step 1:

Warm beer and butter together and let cool.

Step 2:

After mixing together all other ingredients into cooled butter beer using a Kitchen Aid mixer, I had a whole lot of yummy chocolate cake mix. Do try your best to refrain from dipping your finger in the batter, although if you succumb to the devine chocolate temptation don't worry, you have enough batter for 3 layers...you won't miss a layer if you indulge in multi dipping, but please do wash your hands every time before taking the plunge.

Step 3:

Divide the batter into 3 pans, 2 if you are experiencing a chocolate buzz and realise you don't have enough for 3 pans. Having made this cake several times I now stick with 2 layers and use the extra batter for cup cakes; they freeze well and make for quick easy desserts.

Step 4:

Bake for 40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the centre comes out clean. You know the drill.

One layer of cake.

The cupcake.

Step 5:

Let cool then ice with the mixed whipping cream and vanilla Jello crystals and enjoy.

This chocolate stout cake is extremely moist and will leave you wanting more. I recommend cutting in thin slices to serve. As the cake is rather large for 2 people, I froze the remaining cake in individual slices which makes for a quick yummy dessert without all the hassle.