Irish chocolate cake

Light and moist, this cake can be topped with whipped cream or cut into wedges and served with scoops of ice cream.

Ingredients

1 cup	Guinness beer
250 g	Butter, chopped
¾ cup	Cocoa powder, sifted
1 ½ cups	Caster sugar
150 ml	Sour cream
2 large	Eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp	Vanilla essence
275 g	Plain flour
2 tsp	Baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm round cake pan with baking paper.
2. Place the Guinness in a large saucepan and add the butter. Heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cocoa and caster sugar. Once smooth, beat in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla essence. Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix well.
3. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand the pan on a rack to cool.
4. Turn out onto a serving plate. Cover and store in a cool place until ready to serve.

See more of Jan's Irish recipes

• Ryan's potato casserole
• Bailey's balls
• Guinness-battered oysters