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Chocolate Guinness Cake slice on grey plate for featured image.
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4.85 from 39 votes

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting is incredibly moist, fluffy, and fudgy! This is the cake you need for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 20 slices
Author: James Delmage

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
  • 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

Instructions

For the Guinness Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a 9x13 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 9x13 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

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.5g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 24.5g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 13.1g | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 2mg

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