Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Orange and Portuguese Stout Cake
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
40 mins
40 mins
2 hours 30 mins
Serves:
One 8-inch two-layer cake (12 slices)
Clara created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. Her chocolate sponge, made with a Portuguese stout, had textures Nigella Lawson called spot on, and her orange-zest buttercream brought real brightness to the cake. This Fix-It version keeps both and rebalances the raising agents so bak...
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Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE: Unsalted butter, for greasing 1 cup Portuguese stout 10 Tbsp (1 stick + 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed ¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) 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 1¼ tsp baking soda, level ½ tsp aluminum-free baking powder, level ½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE ORANGE-ZEST BUTTERCREAM: 3 sticks (24 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted 4 medium oranges, finely zested (about 4 Tbsp zest), 1 Tbsp zest reserved to decorate 3–4 Tbsp fresh orange juice, from the zested oranges ¾ tsp vanilla extract Pinch fine salt
EQUIPMENT: Two 8-inch round cake pans Parchment paper Large saucepan Fine-mesh sieve Instant-read thermometer Stand or hand mixer Microplane Wire racks Offset spatula
Method
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PANS
Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MELT THE STOUT BASE
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and granulated sugar until smooth.
STEP 3: ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together, then whisk into the stout mixture.
STEP 4: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS
Measure the baking soda and aluminum-free baking powder with level spoons, scraped flat. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together twice through a fine-mesh sieve, then whisk into the wet mixture until just smooth. The batter will be thin; do not add more flour.
STEP 5: BAKE THE SPONGES
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs and the center reads 200–205°F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not raise the heat to save time; this wet stout batter needs a long, moderate bake.
STEP 6: COOL AND TASTE THE SPONGES
Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely, until the center reads 75°F or below. Taste a crumb from the edge: it should taste of chocolate and stout, with no bitter or metallic finish.
STEP 7: MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM
Beat the butter with a stand or hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then 3 Tbsp of the orange zest, 3 Tbsp orange juice, the vanilla extract and salt. Beat for 2 minutes more until light. Taste: the orange should be bright and clear. Add up to 1 Tbsp more juice if the buttercream is stiff.
STEP 8: FILL AND CRUMB COAT
Level the sponges if domed. Set one on a plate, base side down, and spread with a thick layer of buttercream. Top with the second sponge, base side up. Spread a thin crumb coat over the top and sides with an offset spatula and chill for 20 minutes.
STEP 9: FINISH THE CAKE
Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream, smoothing the top and sides, and scatter the reserved orange zest over the top. Keep the finish clean and simple, with no sugar dome. Un-iced sponges keep for one day well wrapped; the finished cake keeps for three days in a cool room or refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.
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Instructions
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE:
Unsalted butter, for greasing
1 cup Portuguese stout
10 Tbsp (1 stick + 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (/interesting-ingredients/unsweetened-cocoa-powder)(not Dutch-process)
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
1¼ tsp baking soda, level
½ tsp aluminum-free baking powder,(/interesting-ingredients/aluminum-free-baking-powder) level
½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE ORANGE-ZEST BUTTERCREAM:
3 sticks (24 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 medium oranges, finely zested (about 4 Tbsp zest), 1 Tbsp zest reserved to decorate
3–4 Tbsp fresh orange juice, from the zested oranges
¾ tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)Pinch fine salt
EQUIPMENT:
Two 8-inch round cake pans
Parchment paper
Large saucepan
Fine-mesh sieve
Instant-read thermometer
Stand or hand mixer
Microplane
Wire racks
Offset spatula
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PANS
Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
STEP 2: MELT THE STOUT BASE
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and granulated sugar until smooth.
STEP 3: ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS
Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together, then whisk into the stout mixture.
STEP 4: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS
Measure the baking soda and aluminum-free baking powder with level spoons, scraped flat. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together twice through a fine-mesh sieve, then whisk into the wet mixture until just smooth. The batter will be thin; do not add more flour.
STEP 5: BAKE THE SPONGES
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs and the center reads 200–205°F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not raise the heat to save time; this wet stout batter needs a long, moderate bake.
STEP 6: COOL AND TASTE THE SPONGES
Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely, until the center reads 75°F or below. Taste a crumb from the edge: it should taste of chocolate and stout, with no bitter or metallic finish.
STEP 7: MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM
Beat the butter with a stand or hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then 3 Tbsp of the orange zest, 3 Tbsp orange juice, the vanilla extract and salt. Beat for 2 minutes more until light. Taste: the orange should be bright and clear. Add up to 1 Tbsp more juice if the buttercream is stiff.
STEP 8: FILL AND CRUMB COAT
Level the sponges if domed. Set one on a plate, base side down, and spread with a thick layer of buttercream. Top with the second sponge, base side up. Spread a thin crumb coat over the top and sides with an offset spatula and chill for 20 minutes.
STEP 9: FINISH THE CAKE
Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream, smoothing the top and sides, and scatter the reserved orange zest over the top. Keep the finish clean and simple, with no sugar dome. Un-iced sponges keep for one day well wrapped; the finished cake keeps for three days in a cool room or refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.
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