Chocolate Guinness Cake

By Nigella Lawson

Updated February 26, 2026

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 3
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
5(14,342)
Comments
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For me, a chocolate cake is the basic unit of celebration. The chocolate Guinness cake here is simple but deeply pleasurable, and has earned its place as a stand-alone treat.

Featured in: AT MY TABLE; A Feast for a Holiday, Or Everyday Exulting

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch cake or 12 servings

FOR THE CAKE

  • Butter, for the pan

  • 1 cup Guinness stout

  • 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (see Tip)

  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

  • 2 cups superfine sugar

  • ¾ cup sour cream

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

  • ½ cup heavy cream

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

66 grams carbs; 100 milligrams cholesterol; 512 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 26 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 345 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 46 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

  3. Step 3

    For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

  4. Step 4

    Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.

Tip

  • The recipe for this cake in Nigella Lawson's cookbook "Feast: Food to Celebrate Life" (Hyperion, 2004) calls for 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter. This adapted recipe has less butter, but still tastes rich.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
14,342 user ratings
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Comments

Dan from Seattle

I bought a 6-pack of Guinness and used one cup for the cake. Drank the rest while I proceeded, because I don't like to waste anything. I don't recall anything after that.

JM

By volume, a 9" springform pan is 10 cups. You can use 2 "standard" 8" or 9" pans instead. Or make 18-24 cup cakes.

I used a 9" square pan and made 6 cupcakes as well (the 9" square has a volume of about 8 cups). I baked the cupcakes for about 25 minutes and the cake for 45.

Patrick

We make this cake one day in advance. It tastes better and it's a little more moist. We release the spring form after about an hour in the cooling process so the sides don't stick the next day. We prepare the frosting the day we plan to serve.
In a side by side taste test with my family of 19 tasters... this was a clear winner over the epicurious three layer Guinness cake.

Katie

Use a chocolate stout such as Smith’s. Added some vanilla to frosting, two benefits, flavor and a brown tint more like the head on a stout beer!

Just T

My mods: butter springform and dust with a 50/50 mix of cocoa and flour; reduced the sugar to 1.5 cups (1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown); for the flour 1 cup white whole wheat + 1 cup all-pupose; for a topping, a simple genache of dark chocolate, cream and stout (simmered down to a syrupy consistency). The cake was moist, dense, and very chocolatey. Will definitely make this again. Hoping to try the cream cheese icg next time.

Ned

Question: Has anyone “dimensioned” this recipe for a 9 X 13 inch pan? Thinking of bringing two of them for a July 4th party. Thanks!

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