Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Cardamom Spiced Stout Cake
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
30 mins
30 mins
1 hour 45 mins
Serves:
One 8-inch two-layer cake (12 slices)
Molly created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. When her first bundt fell out of the oven, she restarted with 60 minutes left and baked this chocolate stout sandwich cake, finished with a cardamom and vanilla cream cheese icing inspired by her wedding cake. Paul Hollywood called the...
Read more
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE: Unsalted butter, for greasing 1 cup stout, such as Guinness Draught 10 Tbsp (1 stick + 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1½ cups granulated sugar ⅔ cup sour cream, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE CARDAMOM AND VANILLA CREAM CHEESE ICING: About 25 green cardamom pods (to give 1¼ tsp freshly ground cardamom) 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Pinch fine salt 12 oz full-fat block cream cheese, cold
EQUIPMENT: Two 8-inch round cake pans Parchment paper Large saucepan Whisk Fine-mesh sieve Instant-read thermometer Wire racks Mortar and pestle or spice grinder Stand mixer or hand mixer Offset spatula Piping bag with a large open-star tip
Method
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PANS
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE STOUT BASE
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
STEP 3: ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together until smooth, then whisk into the stout mixture.
STEP 4: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together, then whisk into the wet mixture until just smooth. The batter will be thin.
STEP 5: BAKE THE SPONGES
Divide the batter equally between the pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs and the center reads 200–205°F on an instant-read thermometer.
STEP 6: COOL THE SPONGES
Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the racks. Cool completely before icing; the center should read 75°F or below. If time is short, chill the layers, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
STEP 7: GRIND THE CARDAMOM
Crack the cardamom pods, discard the husks and grind the seeds finely with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Sift out any coarse pieces and measure 1¼ tsp.
STEP 8: MAKE THE ICING
Beat the butter until smooth and pale. Beat in the powdered sugar, ground cardamom, vanilla bean paste and salt until combined. Add the cold cream cheese in pieces and beat on medium just until smooth and thick, about 30 seconds; overbeating makes cream cheese icing runny. Taste: the cardamom should be bold and clear. Chill for 10 minutes if the icing is soft.
STEP 9: FILL THE CAKE
Set the first sponge on a plate or board, base side down. Spread about a third of the icing over it with an offset spatula, then top with the second sponge, base side up, for a flat top.
STEP 10: PIPE THE TOP
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip with the remaining icing and pipe rosettes or swirls over the top. Pipe only on fully cooled cake, or the icing will slide.
STEP 11: CHILL AND SERVE
Chill for 20 minutes to firm the icing. Keep refrigerated and let stand at cool room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. The iced cake keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator.
What next?
Tell us what you'd like and we'll send what you pick.
Video walkthrough
Simpler recipe version
Printable recipe
Weekly recipe digest
Instructions
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE:
Unsalted butter, for greasing
1 cup stout, such as Guinness Draught
10 Tbsp (1 stick + 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
(/interesting-ingredients/unsweetened-cocoa-powder)1½ cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE CARDAMOM AND VANILLA CREAM CHEESE ICING:
About 25 green cardamom pods (to give 1¼ tsp freshly ground cardamom)(/interesting-ingredients/ground-cardamom)
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Pinch fine salt
12 oz full-fat block cream cheese, cold
EQUIPMENT:
Two 8-inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
Large saucepan
Whisk
Fine-mesh sieve
Instant-read thermometer
Wire racks
Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Offset spatula
Piping bag with a large open-star tip
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PANS
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MAKE THE STOUT BASE
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
STEP 3: ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together until smooth, then whisk into the stout mixture.
STEP 4: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together, then whisk into the wet mixture until just smooth. The batter will be thin.
STEP 5: BAKE THE SPONGES
Divide the batter equally between the pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs and the center reads 200–205°F on an instant-read thermometer.
STEP 6: COOL THE SPONGES
Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the racks. Cool completely before icing; the center should read 75°F or below. If time is short, chill the layers, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
STEP 7: GRIND THE CARDAMOM
Crack the cardamom pods, discard the husks and grind the seeds finely with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Sift out any coarse pieces and measure 1¼ tsp.
STEP 8: MAKE THE ICING
Beat the butter until smooth and pale. Beat in the powdered sugar, ground cardamom, vanilla bean paste and salt until combined. Add the cold cream cheese in pieces and beat on medium just until smooth and thick, about 30 seconds; overbeating makes cream cheese icing runny. Taste: the cardamom should be bold and clear. Chill for 10 minutes if the icing is soft.
STEP 9: FILL THE CAKE
Set the first sponge on a plate or board, base side down. Spread about a third of the icing over it with an offset spatula, then top with the second sponge, base side up, for a flat top.
STEP 10: PIPE THE TOP
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip with the remaining icing and pipe rosettes or swirls over the top. Pipe only on fully cooled cake, or the icing will slide.
STEP 11: CHILL AND SERVE
Chill for 20 minutes to firm the icing. Keep refrigerated and let stand at cool room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. The iced cake keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Comments, or questions, for this recipe
Add a new comment