Guinness Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Filling

What's better than a Guinness Chocolate Cake? Two Guinness Chocolate Cakes with Peanut Butter Filling!

Hands down, my most requested cake is Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Filling and Chocolate Buttercream but sometimes it's fun to experiment and mix things up a bit. So staying with the peanut butter and chocolate theme I instead made two Guinness Chocolate Cakes and topped each of them with Peanut Butter Filling and Cream Cheese Icing.

I just thought the smooth lightly sweet icing would go really well with the chunky peanut butter filling. And, there really is no cake better than super moist Guinness chocolate.

When it came to decorating, I kept the sides of the cakes bare since I like the look of the bright white cream cheese icing against the dark chocolate brown cake. For a little extra pizazz I piped borders around the top, middle and base of the cake. The border also hides the not so pretty edges of where the peanut butter filling and icing meet.

I'm serving this cake tomorrow at the Wednesday Community Meal in recognition of our volunteers who have November birthdays and I hope it's a hit.

Here's how I made it:

Guinness Chocolate Cake
(makes two 9-inch cakes)

2 cup Guinness
2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and line two 9-inch springform pans.

Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add the butter in slices and heat until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and pour into the beer mixture and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Divide the cake batter among the two greased and lined pans and bake the cakes for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Leave them to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack before releasing them from the pan.

Once the cakes are cool, make the filling and cream cheese icing.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, whip peanut butter and butter together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Finally add milk and beat just until the filling comes together and is spreadable. Don't over beat.

Cream Cheese Topping
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and whip again. Add the cream and whip again until it's light and spreadable.

To Assemble:

Place one of the cakes on a platter and top with half of the filling.

Spread the filling evenly over the cake being careful not to get too close to the sides.

Add a little more than a third of the icing to the top of the filling and spread it evenly, trying your best to keep it neat and the layers separate.

Top the first cake with the second cake and repeat, adding filling and cream cheese icing to the top.

Put the remaining icing into a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice and pipe a border around the top of the cake.

Also add a border around the middle of the cake. This hides the messy edge of where the filling meets the icing.

Finally, add a third border to the base of the cake. Keep the cake chilled until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Cherry Chocolate Guinness Cake

My good friend Fred who was my partner in organizing the Wednesday Community Meal back in 2004 and is still the program's hardest working volunteer today loves Black Forest cake, but I hate to make him the exact same cake over and over.

So to change things up this year, I created this Cherry Chocolate Guinness Cake using my favorite Guinness cake recipe from Nigella Lawson and dividing the batter in half to get two cake layers.

Between the layers I added a thick coat of dark cherry filling and topped the whole cake with a traditional whipped cream cheese icing.

I'm pretty positive Fred is going to love it. This cake proves that simple can be a standout.

Here's the recipe:

Cherry Chocolate Guinness Cake

Guinness Chocolate Cake
1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream ( or substitute plain yogurt)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and line two 9-inch springform pans.

Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add the butter in slices and heat until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and pour into the beer mixture and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.
Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans before inverting them onto cooling racks.

Let the cakes cool removing them from the pans.

Cherry Filling
1 16 oz package frozen pitted cherries
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch

The frozen cherries that I used.

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the cherries, sugar and almond extract. Cook until simmering, stirring and using the back of a spoon to break apart the cherries.

In a small bowl whisk together the cream and cornstarch. Add the cream mixture to the simmering cherries and cook until thick. Remove from the heat and let cool before using.


Cream Cheese Icing
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and whip again. Add the cream and whip again until it's becomes light and spreadable.


To Assemble:
Set one of the cakes right side up on a serving platter or cardboard round and top with just enough of the cherry filling to give it a good thick and even coat (Extra filling can be saved and used as jam).

A nice thick coat of cherry filling.

Add the second cake right side up and frost just the very top with the cream cheese icing so that it resembles a frothy top of Guinness.

Letting the filling and cakes cool well before assembling keeps the filling from running out the sides and the cake looking pretty.

Ice just the top of the cake.

Keep the cake chilled before serving.

Ice Cream Cake

This ice cream cake is so easy to make and tastes great.

My daughter Eleanor requested it for her 14th birthday party and I was happy to oblige because it's my go to cake when I want something that will please a crowd with minimal work.

The cake takes just 15 minutes to put together and then it needs to freeze for a minimum of four hours before serving.

All you need to make it is one angel food cake and two quarts of ice cream in your choice of flavors. To make things even easier, you can buy the angel food cake at the grocery store.

Also, have fun choosing complimentary ice cream flavors. Eleanor chose strawberry and dark chocolate.

Here's how to make it:

Ice Cream Cake

1 angel food cake
2 quarts ice cream, left at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes so that the ice cream is easy to scoop and spread

Line a springform pan with plastic wrap.

Place 1/4 inch thick slices of the cake in the bottom of the pan.

Scoop and spread 1 quart of the ice cream on top.

Add another layer of cake slices.

Scoop and spread the second quart of ice cream.

Add a final layer of cake slices and cover with plastic wrap.

Place the cake on foil to catch drips and set a plate on top and press. Put everything in the freezer for at least four hours to firm up.

Remove the plastic wrap and flip the cake onto a platter. Slice and serve immediately.

Classic Carrot Cake

One of the simplest cakes to whip up is a classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

For the cake, all the ingredients can be mixed by hand in less than 5 minutes.

Really, the hardest part of the recipe is grating the carrots. After that, it's smooth sailing.

Grating the carrots can be made easier by using large carrots — they're easier to grip and you'll get the required amount in less time. I also prefer a box grater to a food processor — Fewer parts to clean up!

My carrot cake recipe comes from "Seasoned with Love," my trusty German Baptist Cookbook. The cake is baked at a low temperature (300 degrees)  which I think is the secret to its moist texture.

The original recipe calls for vegetable oil but I usually use canola or olive oil. It's your pick — the results are always delicious.

 I also usually add an additional cup of carrots. I made notes of these changes in the recipe below.

Carrot Cake

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable (I have also used canola or olive oil)

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups raw grated carrots (I usually add an additional cup to bring the total to 4)

1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. With a whisk, cream together sugar and oil. Add eggs; cream well. Add flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. Add carrots, nuts and pineapple. Mix well and pour into two 9-inch cake pans that are greased and floured. Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Two carrot cake layers waiting to be stacked and iced.

Adding the second layer.

Icing the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar

12 oz. (1 1/2 pkg.) cream cheese 

1/4 cup softened butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whip cream cheese and butter thoroughly. Add vanilla. Add sugar, a little at a time and whip until smooth.

Combine Recipes To Make The Cake

Don't be afraid to combine multiple recipes to create the cake you want to make.

When I wanted to make a Tiramisu cake for a friend, I was at a loss.  I didn't have a tried and true recipe and I wasn't willing to take a chance with just any old recipe found on the internet. That's too risky!

My solution: Create my own new recipe by combining fail-proof recipes that I know and trust.

To do this, I first researched Tiramisu cakes and devised a plan.
I decided that my cake would need three components.

1.  A white cake flavored with coffee

2.  A mascarpone cheese and coffee filling 

3.  A light and creamy coffee frosting and a garnish of shaved chocolate and 

     cocoa powder

The white cake part was going to be a cinch because I was given the best white cake recipe from my friend Sandi. It was her great-grandmother's and it is simple to make and always moist and delicious.

I decided to double the recipe and make three layers. And for one of the layers I decided to add espresso powder and extra vanilla.

The filling would also be easy. I just needed mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar to sweeten it and more espresso powder and vanilla.

For the frosting, a half batch of Swiss Meringue Buttercream was a no-brainer.  I got the recipe from Julie Richardson of Baker & Spice (6330 Southwest Capitol Highway, Portland, OR) and it is my go to frosting because it's stable, easy to spread and not too sweet. To say I make it 20 times a year is an understatement. Besides topping cakes, I use it to fill macarons and sandwich cookies.

So here's my personal Tiramisu cake:

And here's my new recipe that I'll definitely keep on file:

Tiramisu Cake
1 cup shortening
4 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
6 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons espresso powder
2 extra teaspoons vanilla

Ingredients to reserve for assembly:
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup chocolate shavings from a dark chocolate bar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Grease and line with parchment three 8-inch round pans that are at least 2 inches deep. Combine the shortening, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and vanilla.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the milk and beat for 2 minutes. Add the four unbeaten eggs and remaining 1/2 cup of milk, beat for 2 more minutes.

Divide 2/3 of the batter into two of the pans. Add the espresso powder and 2 extra teaspoons of vanilla to the remaining 1/3 of the batter and pour it into the last pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until done

Mascarone Filling
1 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat together all of the ingredients and set aside until the cake is ready to assemble.

Coffee Flavored Swiss Meringue Buttercream
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of fine sea salt
2 teaspoons espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water

Place the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Whisk in sugar and cream of tartar.

Place bowl over a double boiler on medium heat, stir frequently until the mixture is very hot (120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit).

Move to mixer and whip whites on high for 2 to 3 minutes; turn down to medium low until cool (use the bowl as your guide).

In a separate bowl with a wooden spoon, stir butter to soften.

With mixer on medium/high speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, adding the next tablespoon just as the previous one is blended in. Once all the butter incorporated, add in vanilla, salt and coffee and whip on high speed until fluffy.

To assemble:
Place one plain cake layer on a serving plate.

Using a skewer, poke holes in cake. Pour half of the 1/4 cup of brewed coffee over cake, then spread with half of the mascarpone  filling.

Top with the coffee flavored cake. Spread with the remaining mascarpone filling.

Top with the remaining layer, poke holes in cake and pour the remaining brewed coffee over the top.

Before the final frosting, it will look like this.

Frost with the coffee buttercream.

Using a sieve, dust the top with cocoa powder and sprinkle on the dark chocolate shavings.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Now it's your turn. Devise your own custom cake by combining your best recipes and please share them with me.