Ingredients

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 10 ounces dark brown sugar
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 6 ounces plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 7 fluid ounces Guinness stout (or other Irish stout)
  • 2 ounces cocoa powder
  • Icing ingredients
  • 4 ounces chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons Guinness stout
  • 2 ounces butter
  • 4 ounces icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 ounce walnuts, finely chopped

Method

  • To make the cake-----------.
  • Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans, and preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
  • Cream butter and sugar together.
  • Gradually beat in the eggs.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a separate bowl.
  • Stir Guinness into cocoa.
  • Carefully fold in alternate quantities of flour and cocoa to butter/sugar mixture.
  • Spread mixture into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • Leave to cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out.
  • To make the icing---------.
  • Melt chocolate with Guinness, and then beat in butter and leave to cool a little before beating in icing sugar.
  • Remove 1/4 of icing and stir in chopped walnuts.
  • When icing has cooled to a spreadable consistency, sandwich cake with walnut icing and use rest for top and sides.
  • Decorate with walnut halves and grated chocolate.