okay...which Guinness Chocolate cake should I try:
- Thread starter marilynfl
- Start date
You probably couldn't go wrong with either, but 2 cups of superfine sugar sounds like Nigella's cake would be too sweet. That said, more than 10K positive reviewers is quite an endorsement. I like Cooks "Why this recipe works" explanation of ingredients and malt frosting makes it seem more interesting. Not you having to run out to find malted milk powder.
"To make a Guinness cake that actually tastes like Guinness, we turned to a slate of ingredients that replicate the stout’s signature flavor. Substituting brown sugar and molasses for the granulated sugar commonly found in the cake added toffee-like flavor and subtle smoke, while malted milk powder delivered buttery, caramelly notes. For the chocolate part of the equation, we used a combination of Dutch-processed cocoa and unsweetened chocolate for deep, rich complexity. Milk, oil, and sour cream lent the cake enough fat to keep it dense and moist. To top the cake, we created a malted cream cheese frosting that echoed the malted flavors in the cake. Using fridge-cold butter and cream cheese gave us more time to whip the frosting before the dairy became too liquid-y, which meant we didn’t have to add as much powdered sugar and risk turning the frosting too sweet or grainy. "
Happy Baking!
M
Well, I bought a bottle of Guinness (22 oz) so I "could" try both. But probably not. Maybe split the recipes and try a few cupcakes of each? I'm just looking for the perfect chocolate cake. Still haven't found it yet. Dahlia Bakery's Devil's Food was a disappointment, except when warmed up. Found Carnation Malted Milk in the chocolate syrup section of the store. They also had chocolate malted milk, but there was far less fat in that...which confused me.
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Speaking of Guinness, Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Did you ever make either cake?
Recipe still sitting on my counter with reduced amounts:
Instead made up a large batch of Wedding Soup using porchetta meatballs instead of beef...used up carrots, onions, celery, rutabaga (roasted in oven first), lacinato kale and itty bitty pasta. Turned out very good.
Also made nlb's Indescribably Delicious Banana Bread with pistachio topping.
Next up is charlie's Corned Beef and Cabbage. That will use up a cup of the Guinness Stout.
Instead made up a large batch of Wedding Soup using porchetta meatballs instead of beef...used up carrots, onions, celery, rutabaga (roasted in oven first), lacinato kale and itty bitty pasta. Turned out very good.
Also made nlb's Indescribably Delicious Banana Bread with pistachio topping.
Next up is charlie's Corned Beef and Cabbage. That will use up a cup of the Guinness Stout.
Guinness Beer Chocolate Cake test: The outcome?
I would make NEITHER of these cupcakes again. Full disclosure: after tasting the cupcakes, I am not wasting ingredients making the icings. Possibly that addition makes a difference, but I'm not going down that path. This test is done.
The one on the left is Nigella's:
www.nigella.com
...and the one on the right is Cook's Illustrated (screenshot):
PROS:
Both cakes were easy to make: no mixer involved. Variations of: melt butter with chocolate, add egg mixture, add flour mixture.
The CI has a lovely top.
CONS:
Nigella's first bite was initially okay, but as I continued to chew, realized the crumb was stiff, dense, and slightly chalky with a cloying taste. It also had a slight depression in every cupcake.
CI's was overwhelmingly "molasses-y" to the point that I could not even finish the taste test. I am NOT a fan of molasses and the only sugars in this are molasses and brown sugar, which ALSO has molasses overtones, so that biased me. The addition of powdered malt flavor was totally lost due to this issue.
Sadly (for my thighs) the hunt for the perfect chocolate cupcake continues.
PS: Confusingly, I could make a .pdf file from the snapshot, but when loaded, it would not open.
I would make NEITHER of these cupcakes again. Full disclosure: after tasting the cupcakes, I am not wasting ingredients making the icings. Possibly that addition makes a difference, but I'm not going down that path. This test is done.
The one on the left is Nigella's:
Chocolate Guinness Cake
This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I can't say that you can absolutely taste the stout in it, but there is certainly a resonant, ferrous tang which I happen to love. The best way of describing it is to say that it's like gingerbread without the spices. There is enough sugar — a...
www.nigella.com
...and the one on the right is Cook's Illustrated (screenshot):
PROS:
Both cakes were easy to make: no mixer involved. Variations of: melt butter with chocolate, add egg mixture, add flour mixture.
The CI has a lovely top.
CONS:
Nigella's first bite was initially okay, but as I continued to chew, realized the crumb was stiff, dense, and slightly chalky with a cloying taste. It also had a slight depression in every cupcake.
CI's was overwhelmingly "molasses-y" to the point that I could not even finish the taste test. I am NOT a fan of molasses and the only sugars in this are molasses and brown sugar, which ALSO has molasses overtones, so that biased me. The addition of powdered malt flavor was totally lost due to this issue.
Sadly (for my thighs) the hunt for the perfect chocolate cupcake continues.
PS: Confusingly, I could make a .pdf file from the snapshot, but when loaded, it would not open.
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mariadnoca
Moderator
Not sure what you are looking for on your quest for the best chocolate cupcake, but sweetpolita has a cupcake version of my favorite chocolate cake (and Richard in cincy) by her. I’ve made them several times and it’s my go to chocolate cupcake now. However, I’ve always used just Hersey cocoa powder out of concern others might have more caffeine, which I don’t do well with.
sweetapolita.com
{My Favourite} Chocolate Party Cupcakes with Vanilla Swirl Frosting
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
{My Favourite} Chocolate Party Cupcakes with Vanilla Swirl Frosting
While these cupcakes aren't anything super-frilly or fancy, they are my best-loved and most-baked treat, so it seemed only natural to share them with you. This past weekend we celebrated my sweet cakelet Reese's 7th birthday (how is this possible--didn't she just turn 4 and decorate this Rainbow...
sweetapolita.com
{My Favourite} Chocolate Party Cupcakes with Vanilla Swirl Frosting
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- For the cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) dark Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) coffee, hot
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- For the frosting:
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons (45 ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Few drops AmeriColor gel paste food colour in Turquoise and Sky Blue
- Sprinkles
- For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 360° F. Line a standard cupcake pan with your favourite cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg and vanilla.
- Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide batter among the liners (about 3/4 full).
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the centre of the cupcake comes out with a only a few crumbs, about 18-20 minutes. Try not to over-bake. Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then turn onto rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting:
- In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
- Add confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt, and beat on low speed until well combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy once again, about 6 more minutes.
- Decorate the cupcakes:
- Divide the frosting into 3 parts. Tint one part of the frosting bright turquoise using Turquoise, one part pastel blue using Sky Blue, and leave the remaining part white.
- Into a medium or large pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip (or swirl tip, such as #887), add a spatula-full of each frosting colour. Twist the top of the bag and pipe a generous swirl on each cupcake, working in a circular motion from the outside in. Top with sprinkles.
- The cupcakes will keep at room temperature in a container with some airflow for up to 3 days.
- Sweetapolita’s Notes:
- For my chocolate cakes and cupcakes, I use Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder – Extra Brute. It’s just amazing–so dark, so intensely chocolate.
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mariadnoca
Moderator
Well they sure look pretty!
How kind of you to donate them. They look really professional and I'm sure they'll appreciate them.