What are you doing this Valentine’s Day? I’m all about indulging in chocolate and beer. When one has those two favorites, they need to come together for this special holiday in a form of a very special cake.
Stout beer is thick and almost dessert-like to me. The perfect compliment to chocolate. I love how the flavor gives this cake a very unique taste. It’s as if they were meant to be!
To make my favorite dessert extra indulgent, I covered it in a rich ganache made with Ghirardelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate. The result was absolutely amazing! Because the ganache is rich and sweet, I topped it with salty pistachios to give it a salty balance. After all. beer and pistachios seem to pair well together too.
If you’re a bit apprehensive about preparing ganache, don’t be. You won’t believe how easy it is to make this. It’s the star of your Valentine’s Day dessert show!
Ghirardelli’s Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips, are small for easy melting and a smooth finish. Don’t worry about clumps, the results are silky in texture with a balanced taste sensation. Find them at your local grocery store and be ready to get your socks knocked off with this dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 cup stout beer
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cups cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cups sour cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 pounds Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips
- 2/3 cup salted pistachios, cracked and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) one 9-inch cake mold. In a medium saucepan, heat stout and butter to a slow simmer until the butter has melted. Add cocoa powder and whisk until ingredients have combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat eggs and sour cream until smooth. Add cocoa/stout mixture and continue to beat to combine. Add flour mixture and beat to combine until smooth.
- Pour mixture in prepared mold and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 30 minutes.
- For icing: In a medium saucepan, heat cream to simmer. Remove from heat and add cbaking chips. Whisk until chips have melted and consistency is smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour until icing is spreadable.
- Frost and sprinkle with chopped pistachios
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
