Guinness Bundt Cake

I love to cook, but when it comes to baking I cringe. I can bake brownies, pumpkin breads and gooey cakes just fine, but an actual cake with frosting (even from the box) intimidates me. This past weekend my mother-in-law invited us over for corned beef and cabbage in honor of St. Patrick's Day, and I offered to bring dessert. I asked my friend Nika for suggestions (she's Irish) and she suggested I make a Guinness cake... cringe! Well, on Saturday I finally decided to put my cake baking fear behind me and picked up all the ingredients for a Guinness cake. That afternoon I made my very first bundt cake from scratch and guess what?! I really enjoyed baking it and according to hubby, JD and the Garcia family it was really good!

Guinness Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

•1 cup Guinness beer

•1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

•3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

•2 cups all purpose flour

•2 cups sugar

•1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

•3/4 teaspoon salt

•2 large eggs

•2/3 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan very, very well. Bring 1 cup Guinness and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add Guinness-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.

Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. 

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool completely in the pan, then turn cake out onto rack or plate to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting (Drizzle)

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 3-4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk
  

Directions: To make frosting/drizzle, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla and slowly mix in powdered sugar. Add milk to desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled bundt cake.

Note: I placed my frosting in a sandwich bag, snipped one corner of the bag and drizzled the frosting over the bundt cake.