Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional), then grease a 23 cm springform tin and dust it with flour.
- Heat the stout with the butter in a large pan until the butter has melted. Take off the heat, stir in the cocoa and sugar and let the mixture cool slightly.
- Whisk the soured cream, eggs and vanilla sugar in a bowl and add to the beer mixture. Gradually work in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, stirring only until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, because it is very moist and would otherwise break easily.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, stir in the icing sugar and spread the topping loosely over the cake. Keep chilled.
Drink with it
Dark beer · excellent match
Stout, e.g. milk stout or Irish dry stout, lightly chilled
Stout is already in the batter; in the glass it reinforces the coffee and cocoa aromas, and its delicate bitterness balances the sweet topping.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecueCream liqueur · excellent match
Irish cream, over ice
Stout, chocolate and Irish cream make an Irish trio; the creamy sweetness and cocoa notes pick up the cream cheese topping, and the ice keeps it light.
Sherry-cask whisky · good match
Sherry-cask whisky, neat with a splash of water
Dried fruit and roasted notes from the sherry cask mirror the cocoa and malt in the cake.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?Fortified wine · good match
Ruby port, lightly chilled
The berry fruit and sweetness of the port stand up to the dark cocoa, while the tangy cream cheese topping stays fresh alongside.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage