I made this Chocolate Guinness Cake for the first time on St. Patrick's Day. It was so yummy that it I knew I would be making it again and again. I've now made it countless times! This Chocolate Guinness Cake has the perfect light and moist chocolate sponge, and the Baileys buttercream is to die for! I could swim in a vat of the stuff! This would go in my top five favourite cakes of all time without a doubt, and I always want it as my birthday cake every year without fail. Best of all, it's so easy to make and decorate. I've made a stencil with the harp logo to decorate the cake, but of course you don't have to do this, that's just me being extra!

I love this Chocolate Guinness Cake so much! It just has everything I want from a cake. My friends and family love it too, it is my most requested cake and everyone gets so excited when I make it, including me!

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Chocolate Guinness Cake

In a mixing bowl, whisk the dark brown sugar and vegetable oil together. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and the Guinness.

In a separate bowl, measure out the self raising flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add it to the mixture bit by bit and whisk in. Finally mix in the melted dark choolate.

Pour the mixture into a lined and greased deep 8" cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. To make the Baileys buttercream, mix together the butter, icing sugar and Baileys irish cream. Try not to eat it all before you put it on the cake!

To make my stencil decoration I traced an image of the harp logo from my laptop onto paper, stuck it onto a piece of card, then used a craft knife to cut it out. I held the cardboard over the cake and sprinkled cocoa powder over it. I recommend using a circular piece of cardboard that is bigger than the cake as I often sprinkle over the sides of the stencil by accident - sadly I didn't have the foresight to make it circular!

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Baileys Buttercream

Can this cake be made in a different size cake tin?

Yes! If you would like to make this cake in a different size tin, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

Can this cake be made with two layers?

Yes! Double the recipe for both the cake and the buttercream to create two lovely layers of this cake.

How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponge either alone, or decorated. Once the sponge is fully cool, wrap it well with cling film or put it in an airtight container. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the appearance of the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

Chocolate Guinness Cake with a slice on a small plate

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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Close up of a slice of Chocolate Guinness Cake

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