Rich, fudgy, and so delicious, this Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Frosting is just the cake you want to cap off your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but is so good you’ll make it all year long!
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Not just for St. Paddy’s Day
Like most New Yorkers, my family honors our Irish ancestors each year with a St. Paddy’s Day feast.
I’ll make a Shepherd’s Pie or Guinness beef stew, corned beef and cabbage, and Tara will always make a few loaves of Irish soda bread.
This Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting is always there to close out the meal and satisfy those sweet cravings.
The Guinness complements the rich chocolate, the cake is incredibly moist and light, and the creamy Baileys frosting is just out of this world!
And while this cake is truly wonderful for St. Patrick’s Day, it is something that can be – and should be – enjoyed all year long. Birthdays, gatherings, a random Wednesday night – there is never a reason not to make Guinness chocolate cake!
Cake ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Stout. We’re using Guinness, but you can use any stout, such as Murphy’s.
- Espresso powder. While this ingredient is optional, adding espresso to any chocolate cake amps up the flavor in a big way.
- Buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk with a little white vinegar, about 1 tablespoon per cup of milk.
- Oil. I prefer using oil over butter in cakes because it yields a moister cake. Use vegetable oil, avocado oil, or any neutral-flavored oil.
- Cocoa. I’m using natural cocoa (non-Dutch process) for this recipe and recommend you do the same. Using Dutch may affect the rise/flavor due to differences in acidity. Dutch process is neutral, while regular is acidic, so you may not get the same rise as you would with a natural cocoa.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Baileys buttercream frosting ingredients
- Butter. Unsalted butter softened to room temperature.
- Irish cream. Baileys is the most well known Irish cream but you can definitely find other brands and use those.
- Confectioner’s sugar. Be sure to sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
First, make the chocolate Guinness cake
- Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, add 3 cups (390g) of all-purpose sifted flour, 2/3 cup (83g) of cocoa powder, 2 1/3 (465g) of granulated suagar, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, if using, and mix to combine.
- In a separate large bowl add 1 bottle (317g) of Guinness, 1/2 cup (120g) of sour cream, 1 cup (224g) of buttermilk, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup (162g) of vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, to beat on low for 1 minute.
- Pour the Guinness cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then invert and place on a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper and allow the cake to fully cool before frosting with the Irish cream frosting.
Next, frost the cake
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 2 cups (454g) of unsalted room temperature butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy.
- Add 6 cups (700g) of confectioner’s sugar, 1 pinch of salt, and 1/3 cup (80g) of Baileys Irish cream and beat on low for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium – medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the frosting, and if it’s too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of Irish cream to thin it out.
- Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to place the frosting onto the top of the cooled chocolate Guinness cake.
- Use an offset spatula to distribute the frosting evenly. If desired, add a few festive sprinkles. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
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Top tips
- The pan. This recipe was written for a standard 9×13 cake pan, which is typically 2 – 2 1/4 inches deep and holds a volume of 14 cups (3.5 quarts). It’s important to be sure the pan you are using is the correct size. It’s much easier to remove the cake from the pan if it’s lined with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, be sure to adequately oil/grease/spray the cake pan for easier removal. You can also opt to keep the cake in the sheet pan and serve that way too.
- Use a kitchen scale. Using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients in grams will provide a more accurate measurement. We recommend using a scale for most baking and dough-making recipes.
- Serving. If you’re not serving right away, store in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before serving. Room temperature frosting tastes so much better than cold frosting.
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Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the Guinness Cake
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 1/3 cup (465g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup (83g) cocoa powder non-Dutch process
- 1 bottle (317g) Guinness
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
- 1 cup (224g) buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (162g) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Irish Cream Frosting
- 2 cups (454g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6-7 cups (700-840g) confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1/3 cup (80g) Bailey's Irish Cream room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
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Instructions
For the Guinness Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a 9×13 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder (if using) and salt, and whisk until combined.
- In a separate large bowl add the Guinness, sour cream, buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a hand mixer to beat on low for 1 minute. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then turn it over and place on a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper and allow the cake to fully cool before frosting with the Irish Cream frosting.
For the Irish Cream Frosting
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy.
- Add 6 cups of confectioner's sugar, the salt, and the Irish cream and beat on low for 30 seconds then increase the speed to medium to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Check the consistency of the frosting and if it's too thin, add the remaining cup of sugar a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If you find the frosting is too thick, you can add about a tablespoon of Irish cream at a time to thin it out.
- Scoop the frosting onto the top of the cooled cake and use an offset spatula to distribute evenly. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe was written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.
- This recipe is written for a 9×13 sheet pan, however, you can make a 2 layer cake by using 2 prepared 9-inch cake pans and using a kitchen scale to divide the batter equally between the two pans. The bake time will be much quicker, so start checking for doneness at the 20-minute mark.
- Leftover cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hello Jim and Tara!
My husband and I are longtime fans!!
Every Single recipe of yours has been a 10 (even if James didn’t agree =)
We also Own and Love your Cookbook!!!!! We gave our son one for Christmas, too!
Ok! Now I have one question with regard to this recipe:
Do you think it can be done as a Bundt cake?
Thank You in Advance! Pam and Tim Kelly aka BIG FANS of All of You!
Hi Pam, we’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and thank you for buying the book! A bundt pan has less volume than a 9×13 pan (bundt is about 10-12 cups while 9×13 is 14-16 cups). So you could use the recipe but you’d have leftover batter that you could perhaps use for cupcakes or something small. You may have to adjust the cooking time too because I believe a bundt pan is taller, but not having tested with a bundt I can’t say for sure what the timing would be.
I make a similar recipe but into cupcakes and I make a Jamison’s chocolate ganache that I dip the baked cupcakes in before I put the bailey’s Irish Cream frosting.
Would this recipe convert to 24 cupcakes?
It could however we haven’t tested so can’t say what the cupcake yield would be or the cook time.
Hi Tara
Have you tried making this gluten free? I use Pamela’s GF flour I wonder if you have any experience with how it might turn out
Thank you
I haven’t, but I’ve heard great things about King Arthur’s Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. I’m not familiar with Pamela’s but as long as it can be used to replace regular flour 1:1, I’m sure it will be good.
Guinness is a stout. Can lager be substituted without significantly changing the cake?
We haven’t tested the recipe with a lager but I do think there would be a flavor difference.
Vern, don’t do this. Please us a stout. A lager contains more c02 than a stout and will make your cake rise too much.
I have been making this cake for quite some time – it is fudgy, dense and the frosting compliments it so well- yum. Instead of Guinness, I use Brooklyn Brewery’s Chocolate Black Stout which turns it up a notch. The presentation is supposed to resemble the head of a glass of Guinness. The recipe calls for it to be baked in a springform pan and after it cools, remove from the pan, and frost the cake with an icing that is thick but runs a bit over the sides of the cake (the head of a glass of beer). Excellent ending to St. Patty’s!
I want to make this cake. Can I use Dutch process cocoa instead of the natural?
The short answer is yes, you can, however, it may affect the rise/flavor due to differences in acidity. Dutch process is neutral, while regular is acidic so you may not get the same rise as you would with a natural cocoa. In short, we haven’t tested the recipe with Dutch process so can’t advise on what the outcome would be. Another commenter did say they used Dutch cocoa and rated the recipe 5 stars so it turned out fine for them.
This cake is absolutely delicious. The cake has a rich chocolate flavor with a tender crumb and is moist and lovely. The frosting was also amazing. I made this last St. Patrick’s day and will definitely be making it again for years.
So glad you enjoyed!
this cake sounds delicious and i want to make it for my boyfriends birthday in a few days. although he has dairy allergies. i am gonna substitute the baileys for almond milk baileys but wondering if substituting buttercream and sour cream with other things would make a drastic difference.
Hi Emily, not having tested this recipe with dairy-free alternatives, we can’t say what the outcome would be.
New to baking and I want to make this cake for a gathering we are having. Question on the instructions for the flour and confectionery sugar. Do I sift it before I measure it or after? Based on the weight I am thinking sift after but want to be sure.
Hi Thomas, you can sift it after you measure.
This will be my go to for chocolate cake. Frosting is good as well!
We’re so glad to hear that, Kristina!
Can you 1/2 the recipe for 8×8 cake pan!
Hi Chris, you likely could but the cooking time would probably be less as well, so begin checking for doneness at the 20-minute mark. We haven’t tested the recipe in an 8×8 so can’t say with certainty what the results would be.
This was the best made-from-scratch cake I have ever made in my life and I am an over-50 southerner whose best cake (‘til now) was a red velvet cake recipe from my grandma’s church cook book. Good gravy this is an amazing awesome bodaciously delicious daggum cake. And it’s beautiful! And super intensely chocolately (I did use dark chocolate Pwdr). Seriously yummy.
Hi Susan, what an amazing comment! We are so happy you enjoyed!
One of the best cakes ever! My wife made this cake on St. Patrick’s Day. She did use buttermilk and espresso powder. Substitutes were Carolans Irish Crème and Dutched Cocoa. We used Carolans only because the small bottles of Bailey’s were sold out. We will not wait until St. Patrick’s Day to make this again.
Hi Anthony, we’re so happy to hear this! Thanks for the great comment!
This cake has the perfect texture. Light and spongy with a subtle chocolate flavor, and very easy to make. Excellent! This will be my new go-to recipe for chocolate cake.
I made in 2 – 9″ pans. A bit too much batter for that (there was some overflow in the oven)…they rose quite a bit and did take the full cooking time. Next time I will reserve some batter for a couple of cupcakes. Also used a plain vanilla buttercream frosting as I did not want to invest in a whole bottle of Bailey’s just for this. But even with these factors, it was still one of the best cakes I’ve made!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Jessica.
Made this for a post St Patrick’s Day thing. I used your cream cheese frosting and added the Bailey’s and a little green food coloring. Really deep flavored and delicious. I love oil based breads and cakes because they’re so moist.
So happy you enjoyed it, Steve!
Can this be made into a thinner sheet cake ? If so how long should I bake it?
Hi Laurie, we haven’t tested the recipe with a thinner cake though it would likely work.
This may be a silly question, but how many cups of Guinness do you add? The measurement is in grams, and the conversion depends on what you are using. Also, can you use the Guinness in a can instead of a bottle? Thank you!
Hi Kathy, yes, you can use the Guinness in the can. In fact, we just did that very thing the last time we made it. It’s 11.2 fluid ounces which is just shy of 1 1/2 cups. Hope that helps.
Fantastic recipe for St Patrick’s Day. I made 2 – 9″ rounds (bake time for me was about 40 minutes baking them at the same time and rotating halfway through) and the frosting recipe was more than enough to coat the 2 layer cake. Will most definitely make this again.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Kristina!
Wow! My daughter made this cake today for St. Patrick’s Day. It was so good! I’m sure this will become a new tradition along with the soda bread and corned beef and cabbage. Delicious and so moist.
We’re so happy you enjoyed the cake, Tom!