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Wednesday 9 January 2013

A little Piece of Heaven

This little cake is from christmas, I thought it was about time I got around to posting it. For Christmas one year my boyfriend brought me the box set of Nigella's DVD's. So as my fairly newish tradition I like to watch her DVD's and flick through her cook books each Christmas, to gain inspiration for the christmas meal. This next recipe is adapted from her Guinness Chocolate Cake recipe that is in her Feast cookbook.

The cake is so beautiful and moist, and it lasts for ages. It has a fairly strong smell of Guinness, which to a none Guinness drinking person may be off putting, but take one bite and you'll surly change your mind, well I certainly did.


Guinness Cake

Chocolate cake

Guinness Chocolate


1 1/2 cups Guinness
1/4 cup cocoa
200g butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 eggs 
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
1 teaspoons baking soda


Pre heat the oven to 180°C

Place Guinness, cocoa, and butter into a saucepan and heat on a medium heat until the butter melts.
Place the sugar, eggs and buttermilk into a bowl and beat with and electric mixer until combined. Pour the guinness mix into the  buttermilk mixture and stir until incorporated. Sift in the flour and soda and whisk until combined. Then pour into a lined 20cm round cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked. 


Chocolate Ganache 

300g of dark chocolate 
1/2 cup of thick cream
25g butter

Place the ingredients into a bowl and place over a saucepan of water, or if you happen to have a double boiler use that, heat until the butter and chocolate melt. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes.

To decorate cut the cake in half and fill with whipped cream and fruit of your choosing. Sandwich the cakes together then pour over the ganache  and top with more fruit.

Cake recipe adapted from Nigella
Chocolate and berry cake

Chocolate cake

Chocolate and fruit



66 comments:

  1. Hi Sophia

    OMG what a cake, a rule breaking cake, a one to impress cake

    Picture perfect!

    Well done you

    G

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  2. That is one amazing cake! I've looked at the recipe in Feast a number of times and have been put off as I don't like Guinness. Maybe I'll have to take the plunge as it looks divine!

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  3. Lovely pictures!! :))

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  4. Thank you all so much for posting on my wall it was a lovely surprise to see so many comments this morning.

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    Replies
    1. I am definitely attempting to create this masterpiece! Wish me luck! It looks and sounds like heaven! ♡

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    2. I am definitely attempting to create this masterpiece! Wish me luck! It looks and sounds like heaven! ♡

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  5. Sumptuous cake, props & photography! Lavishly grand! Bravo, Sophia! xoxo

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  6. This headline is just perfect because this cake really looks like chocolate heaven! Beautiful combo of dark chocolate and fresh fruits!

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  7. I am not a huge fan of chocolate (I know, weird right?) BUT I had to comment on how beautiful this cake looks! Great job :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Little B. Don't like chocolate? Very hard to believe :) Thanks for checking out my blog and for your comment.

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  8. Sophia, This is Chef Michael from Overland Park, Kansas, USA. From around the world, I bid you hello and your cake is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!!!!!
    Keep up the good work and I look forward to more culinary wonders!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Chef Michael,

      Thanks for stopping by, its great to hear from you! Its so great to know there are people from the other side of the world, checking out my blog. Thank you.

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  9. This decadent cake looks amazing! So beautiful and of course chocolatey. Your pictures are lovely as well. So glad I found your blog!

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    1. Hi Jessica,

      Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you found me:) hope you come back.

      Soph xxx

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  10. Oh my goodness! Absolutely gorgeous!!!! LOVE this!

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  11. This looks so delicious! Beautiful photos :)

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  12. I discover your blog right now and I do love it! Congrats your pictures are fabulous and your recipes are new and beautiful! I'll promote it on my FB! Bye!!
    ___
    http://thetraveleater.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Costanza,

      Thank you for your kind words! I would be so grateful if you would promote it for me.

      Thanks,

      Sophia

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  13. Hey Sophia,

    Just paged through your blog - beautiful photos! Two good friends of mine are in Australia at the moment, I hope to go "down-under" as well someday.
    Keep up the good work :)

    Greetings from Germany,
    Jennifer.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jennifer,

      Thanks for stopping by! Germany is beautiful, we had a great time when we went. You should come to oz.

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  14. Great cake, beautiful pictures! Glad to find you, I will save this cake to make it. Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Timea, Thanks for your comment, let me know how it turns out when you make it.

      Soph xx

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  15. OMG... this blog is wonderfull!!! :)
    I love it!!!! :)

    Barbara (from Italy www.qb-quantobasta.blogspot.it)

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  16. Thanks Barbara, I will check your site out. hope you will stop by again.
    soph

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  17. I'm making your cake right now and I was wondering if you had trouble with the batter spilling over the sides of the cake pan in the oven? I did everything as you stated above.

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    Replies
    1. Hi,
      Oh no, I didn't have a problem with this. The only thing I could suggest is using a taller cake tin, unless it was spilling out the bottom of the cake tin? In which case use a non spring form tin, something with a solid base, as the mixture is quite runny and the tin may not have a good seal.
      I do hope that helps and you have better luck if you make it again.
      Soph

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  18. I know this is a dumb question, but I rarely bake....mostly cook. And I was thinking of making this for Valentines Day --- whipping cream....do I buy a carton of it and just whip it, or do I add something to it? Or, what did you use?

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  19. Hi Denise,

    Thanks for your message. Yeah all you need to do is whip it, however be careful not to whip it to long or it will turn to butter, just keep your eye on it. I love fresh whipped cream so I don't add anything, although if you like it a little sweeter add a teaspoon of icing sugar at a time, taste as you go depending on how sweet you like it. Hope that helps, and good luck with it.
    Soph xxx

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  20. Thanks I will let you know tomorrow, I really appreciate it! Fingers crossed this works out, cuz it looks amazing!

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  21. ok just one more question! for the ganache i just melt the chocolate and butter right? and the cream is for whipping separately!? i am excited, will let you know how this works!

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  22. ok so i figured out i should add the cream with the butter and chocolate....it's in the oven now...praying it works! :)

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  23. I did it! It's not as pretty as yours but it's pretty dang super cool looking!

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    1. Hi Denise,

      Oh I'm so glad! I'd love to see a pic if you took one. Well done.

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    2. I can't figure out how to get a pic in this comment! Tried copying and pasting too...ugh! My email is cfrmom@gmail.com if you want to send me a blank email I will reply with the picture of it so you can see and/or post it here lol!

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  24. What a stunning cake. I'm salivating now...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! Only one way to stop, you'll have to make it.

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  25. Beautiful cake! Drooling, salivating and definitely making this one soon! Gorgeous site and photos!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment, it means a lot to get them.

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  26. This looks amazing. I may try it as cupcakes too. My husband is not a fan of sliced cake. One question.... How strong is the beer taste?

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    1. Hi Linda,

      That's a great idea, please let me know how they turn out. The beer taste is not that strong when you first make it, however the longer you leave it the more the taste seems to come out. I don't like the taste of Guinness or any kind of beer and I really liked it.

      Soph

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  27. you have mentioned nice cake oh my god thanks for sharing me

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  28. A friend posted this cake on her FB and I just had to make it. It is Saint Paddys day on Sunday so making it for an Irish friend.
    Looks amazing so far out of the oven. Will decorate tomorrow morning.
    Can't wait to try some!1

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    1. Hi Gillian,

      Please thank your friend for sharing my photo on facebook! Its always great when you pull a cake out of the oven and it looks amazing, you just have to stop yourself from eating it, which I find is always impossible for me. Please let me know how the decorating goes.
      Best wishes
      sophia

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  29. You cake looks fantastic but I want to make it and I not sure on what200 g butter means in cups or sticks also 300ml what is that in cups or please help me thanks Fran

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  30. Hi,

    Thank you! 200g of butter is equal to 1 and 3/4 sticks, and 300mls is 1 and 1/4 cups. Hope that helps let me know how you go making it.
    Best of luck

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  31. Hi I found your blog plus someone sent this cake to me because they know I love to bake but is there anyway you could tell me what the temp of the oven would be in fahrenheit and the sour cream in cups, dark chocolate and butter in the ganache. I know its alot but I would just love to make this cake.

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  32. Hi can you help me by changing the sour cream to cups the dark chocolate and the butter amount in the ganache and the oven to F. Thank You

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  33. Hi Tara,

    It would be 356F
    2/3 cup of sour cream
    10.6 oz of chocolate - you can't really measure it in cups
    2 tablespoons butter
    Hope that helps happy baking.

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  34. This looks absolutely amazing!! But being an American our measurements are so different that it would be nice if you had a measurement exchange.. your desserts look absolutely delicious!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Teri! I will have to do that as I have a few people from America looking at the blog, it would make it a lot easier for them to bake. Thanks for the suggestion.
      Sophia

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  35. This is looks so very good, I can't wait to try it. Did you take the pictures on here? They are amazing!!

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    1. Hi Brandy,

      Thanks for stopping by little box brownie, Its great to see a new face. Yes I take the photos, a labour of love. You should try the cake Nigella is amazing.

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  36. This cake looks phenomenal! Unfortunately, I don't usually cook with alcohol - is there a good substitution for the Guinness, or a recipe without it? Sorry to be a bother!
    Sadie

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    1. Hey Sadie,
      If you use this recipe for the cake from this one http://www.littleboxbrownie.com/2013/08/celebration-chocolate-cake.html, I'm sure you will be very happy with the results. You can ice it and decorated like I have above too and it would work a treat.

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  37. I just stumbled across your site and I can just tell you're one of those "kindred spirits" every so often in life if a person is lucky you "stumble" across. It's too bad we're only about 11,000 miles apart. When I look at this cake with ALL the amazing fresh fruits on it and then you talk about Christmas my first thought is....HUH?? And then I remember your seasons are the opposite of ours. Until a few years ago when fresh fruits such as these began appearing in supermarkets (and you spend a fortune buying) year round you only saw fresh Bing Cherries, fresh raspberries, blueberries, etc., during their short growing seasons in the summer. It would be interesting to imagine how very different our traditional Christmas foods would be if Christmas ended up in the summer instead of the winter. Maybe we wouldn't have the infamous "Fruitcake" if the powers that be had decided some other date other than the winter solstice to place Christmas. I can't even say it would be what we make for our nation's birthday, the 4th of July because they tend to be red, white and blue, not red and green. I wouldn't mind celebrating Christmas in the middle of summer at least once instead of winter. How very different it all would be without snowmen, mittens, decorating the mantle with the crackling fire going and even having some other tree other than the evergreen to make the "Christmas tree".

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Hi,
Thanks for visiting. I love reading all your comments, and will try to respond to them all.
Sophia xxx