Orange Chocolate Stout Cake

Photo: Madiha Salam

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted

1 cup stout beer, at room temperature

4 eggs

1 tablespoon orange zest

cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting:

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

cup whole milk

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350 F and spray two 8″ cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

In a medium bowl combine the melted butter, beer, eggs, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined and no large lumps of flour remain. Do not over-mix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center springs back when lightly pressed. Let the cakes cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools prepare the frosting. (For a full tutorial on brown butter frosting, with step-by-step pictures see my recipe for Chocolate Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting)

In a small pan over medium heat brown the butter until it is nut brown. Be sure to stir the butter constantly. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature.

Beat the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add the milk, a little at a time, until you reach your preferred spreading consistency.

Place one of the cakes on your serving plate, or board. Spread 1/3 of the frosting evenly over the cake. Top with the second cake. Spread 1/2 of the remaining frosting evenly on the top, making sure you go all the way to the edge, then frost the sides with the remaining frosting.