Chocolate Porter Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE PORTER CUPCAKES, PORTER GANACHE, CARAMEL CORN CRUNCH, TOASTED MERINGUE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and oil together, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then add the vanilla and coffee extracts and 1 egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Whisk your porter beer and cocoa together in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Turn the mixer to low and add your sour cream. Continue with the mixer on the lowest speed and add the flour mixture and cocoa mixture, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Fill the prepared liners half full with the batter and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.
• For the ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the porter beer to 130 degrees F. Pour the beer over the white chocolate in a clean medium bowl. Whisk until incorporated. Transfer the ganache into a sauce bottle for use. Hold at room temperature until the cupcakes are cooled.
• For the caramel corn crunch: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat your peanut butter and milk chocolate for 30 second increments until melted. Stir with a spoon between heating. Crush the caramel corn in a food processor until fine. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel corn. Stir with a spoon until incorporated. Chill in the refrigerator until set. Scoop with a number 70 ice cream scoop on to a plate lined with waxed paper. Reserve at room temperature until assembly.
• For the meringue: Combine the sugar and egg whites in a saucepan. Whisking constantly over low heat, bring the mixture to 110 degrees F. Pour the egg mixture into a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Whip until it reaches room temperature; the mixture should be light, fluffy and shiny. Add the vanilla extract and salt. This recipe should be done just prior to assembly.
• To assemble: Push the caramel corn filling into the middle of each porter cupcake. Fill in the hole with the porter ganache. Chill until set.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip half full with the meringue. Pipe on top of the cupcake. Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch. Garnish with caramel corn.

CHOCOLATE PORTER CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350. Sift flour, soda, salt, baking powder, cocoa, set aside. In mixer add eggs, sugar, milk, oil, vanilla, beat at low speed for 3 min, add hot porter. Mixture will be thin. Bake in Bundt pan for 50-55 min. Cool 20 minutes, remove from pan and place on plate. To serve I make a chocolate ganache from equal parts of chocolate and hot cream mixed together. Slice cake, place on plate, top with 2-3 tbl spoons of ganache, followed by a dollop of whip cream and dark chocolate shavings

PORTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas2. Butter and line the base of a deep 20 cm round cake tin. Put the butter, dried fruit, orange zest and juice, sugar and porter in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the boil, stirring until the butter has dissolved, then simmer for 15 mins.
• Cool for 10 mins, then stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will foam up, but don't worry, this is normal.
• Stir the eggs into the pan, then sift in the flour and spice, then mix well. Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the top with the back of a spoon and sprinkle with the flaked almonds and Demerara sugar. Bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hrs. cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE BEER CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven 350°F (180°C).
• You will need two 8 inch (20 cm) cake tins, 1½ inches (4 cm) deep, lightly greased, and the bases lined with baking parchment, lightly greased.
• Cream the butter and sugar together, beating thoroughly for 3 or 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Now gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Next, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda on to a sheet of baking parchment.
• Measure the cocoa and put it in a separate bowl, gradually stirring the stout into it. Carefully and lightly fold into the egg mixture small quantities of the sifted flour alternately with the cocoa-stout liquid. Then, when both have been added, divide the cake mixture equally between the 2 tins and level it out.
• Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes. The cakes should be flat on top and feel springy and will have shrunk slightly from the side of the tin. Leave them to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool further, carefully stripping off the base papers.
• To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and butter together until blended, then gradually add the stout, making sure it is thoroughly mixed in after each addition.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Then, when it's melted, remove the bowl from the water, and carefully fold the chocolate into the icing mixture.
• Remove a third of the icing to a separate bowl and stir in the chopped walnuts. After all the icing has cooled to a spreadable consistency, sandwich the cake with the walnut icing. Then spread the remaining two-thirds of the icing on top of the cake, using a palette knife. Next, dust the walnut halves with cocoa powder and arrange on top of the cake.
• Now try to be patient and allow the icing to become firm before eating!

CHOCOLATE STOUT LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 11/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
• For frosting:
• Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).
• Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.