Irish Birthday Cake

For The Guinness Cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1½ cups cocoa powder
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp espresso grade coffee, finely ground
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt ( I used Chobani plain non-fat yogurt)
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 9 oz of Guinness beer

For The Irish Cream Frosting

  • 12 oz. cream cheese
  • 6-8 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
  • 3/4 cup butter, room temp.
  • 6-7 Tbsp. baileys
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

Baking the Cakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease three 8″ cake pans and dust with cocoa powder.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a mixer over medium-low speed, mix together the vegetable oil and sugar just until combined. Add eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Mix this too just until combined.
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Once mixed together, add the beer. Mix for 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
  5. Divide batter between the three cake pans. Bake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the Frosting:

  1. Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  2. Beat in the baileys and cinnamon into the cream cheese mixture.
  3. Slowly add in the sifted confectioners sugar until smooth and can hold a peak.

Assembling the Cakes:

  1. Once the cakes come out of the oven, pop them into the freezer on wire racks and let them cool to the touch on top. Flip them out on parchment paper and let them completely cool before moving on to the next step. (The freezer stops them from continuing to cook and locks in moisture)
  2. Brush each of the cake layers and sides with Baileys for extra moisture.
  3. Spread a generous amount between each layer and cover the top of the cake. Garnish with shaved chocolate pieces.