About the Recipe
Ingredients
To make cake//
1 ½ cups flour(185 g)
1 cup dutch processed cocoa powder(120 g)
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cups stout(360 mL)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 cup butter(235 g)
1 ½ cups sugar(300 g)
3 eggs
½ cup mayonnaise(120 g)
4 oz dark chocolate(115 g), chopped
To make Frosting//
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
4 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
Preparation
Steps to make cake base( Recipe from Tasty)
Step 1
Grease and line three 8-inch (20 cm) cake tins with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
Step 3
In a large glass measuring cup, combine the stout, vanilla, and espresso powder. Set aside.
Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally to ensure all the ingredients are being evenly creamed together.
Step 5
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Step 6
Add the mayonnaise and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 7
Preheat oven to 325˚F (160˚C).
Step 8
Alternate adding the prepared dry and wet ingredients to the batter. Starting with about ⅓ of the dry ingredients, beat until incorporated. Then add ⅓ of the liquid ingredients, mixing until the batter comes together. Continue until all the wet and dry ingredients have been incorporated.
Step 9
Using a rubber scraper, fold the dark chocolate chunks into the batter.
Step 10
Distribute the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake tins.
Step 11
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 12
Place the cakes on a cooling rack and leave to cool for about 10-15 minutes, until the outside of the pan is cool enough to touch.
Step 13
Once the cakes have cooled, loosen the edges using a butter knife. Then place a large plate over the tin and invert to release the cake from the pan. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake and slide the cake back onto the cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat for the remaining two layers.
Steps to make frosting ( Recipe from Bon Appetit)
Step 1
Meanwhile, make the frosting: Fill a medium pot with 1" water and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Combine 4 oz. chocolate chips and ½ cup heavy cream in a heatproof medium bowl, place over saucepan, and reduce heat to low (make sure bottom of bowl is not touching water). Stir occasionally with a spatula until chocolate is melted and mixture is homogeneous and thick. Chill ganache until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes (you can mix with a spatula to encourage cooling). Alternately, mix chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second bursts until melted.
Step 2
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk 4 oz. (room temperature!) cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and remaining ¾ tsp. vanilla extract and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a large bowl until very smooth and no lumps remain. Beat in cooled chocolate ganache on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until frosting just holds its peak and is well combined and a little thicker, about 1 minute. You don’t want to overbeat because the frosting can become too stiff.
Assembly
Step 1
Top cake with frosting, spreading evenly across the surface. Make some decorative swooshes with a spoon, if desired. Slice and serve.