Based on https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-stout-cake and https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-guinness-cake
Makes about 16-20 slices.
250g butter + some for greasing tin
250ml gluten-free stout e.g. Drop Bear Beer Co. Bonfire Stout
100g cocoa powder
400g caster sugar
2 large eggs
150ml sour cream
2 tsp vanilla paste
275g plain flour
2.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp xanthun gum
250g full-fat soft cheese
150g icing sugar
1 tsp cornflour
125ml double cream
Heat the oven to 160 fan.
Butter and line the bottom of a 24cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
Weigh the stout and butter into a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn down the heat and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.
Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
Beat the eggs in a jug with the soured cream and vanilla paste, then pour into the mixture.
Stir in the flour, bicarb and xanthun gum.Â
Pour the cake mix into the tin and bake for 60 mins. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. If not put back in the oven and check again after 10 mins. Leave to cool in the tin or it will collapse and leak all over the countertop.
Beat the soft cheese until soft
Beat in the icing sugar & cornflour a spoonful at a time
Whip the cream in a stand mixer to soft peaks, then stir into the cheese mix, one spoonful at a time
This looks like a lot of icing - it's a very thick layer - but it's a necessary counterpart to the cake, especially once it's a couple of days old, and not too sweet.
Make sure it is a) well mixed at each stage and b) the cream is all whipped and none of it still runny
Consider halving the cake and using the icing as a sandwich layer.