Grab your favorite chocolate stout beer and make this rich, dark chocolate stout cake with a ganache glaze.
Chocolate stout cake was born out of my husband’s request for me to make more food with beer in it.
I considered a whiskey caramel drizzle or an Irish Creme icing, but then I decided that I didn’t need to get too fancy. Nothing that involved thermometers or boiling or a mixer. What should go on top of a chocolate stout cake? Chocolate stout ganache, duh. 
Most stout cakes involve Guinness, but my husband owns a beer store and I can get lots of great craft stouts and porters. My favorites for this recipe are Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout (pictured), Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter (in the video), and Founder’s Breakfast Stout.
The Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book provided the perfect starting point with their chocolate sour cream bundt cake recipe (and a wonderful tip for “greasing” the pan with butter and cocoa), and the Beeroness gave me a wonderful ganache recipe. By the way, I’ve decided that bundt cakes are every bit as easy sheet cakes, and when icing just involves heating, stirring, and pouring, that’s a win.
Click here for the ganache recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of chocolate stout beer works best for this cake?
For this recipe, you can use craft stouts like Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout, Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter, or Founder’s Breakfast Stout for the best flavor.
How do I properly grease the bundt pan for this cake?
Use a combination of butter and cocoa powder to grease the bundt pan, as suggested by The Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book, to ensure easy removal.
Can I use a different type of ganache for the glaze?
While the recipe is based on the ganache from Beeroness, you can experiment with other ganache recipes, but the heating, stirring, and pouring method should remain the same for best results.
