Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • 150ml/5fl oz stout
  • 75g/2½oz good-quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
  • 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 275g/10oz soft light-brown sugar
  • 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
  • 175g/6oz self-raising flour
  • 100g/3½oz milk chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 50g/2oz unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp stout
  • 100g/3½oz icing sugar
  • 50g/2oz chopped roasted hazelnuts, to decorate

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in cake tin with butter.
  • For the cake, bring a little water to the boil in a pan. Reduce the heat until the water is simmering, then suspend a heatproof bowl over the water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
  • Add the stout and dark chocolate pieces to the heatproof bowl and heat gently until melted. Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool.
  • In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light, fluffy and well combined, using either a food processor or electric whisk.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  • Pour in the cooled chocolate-and-stout mixture and beat until well combined. Fold in the flour.
  • Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then remove from the tin and set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Meanwhile, for the icing, repeat the process of bringing a little water to the boil in a pan. Reduce the heat until the water is simmering, then suspend a heatproof bowl over the water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
  • Add the chocolate, butter and stout to the bowl, stirring until just melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set the mixture aside to cool slightly.
  • When the melted chocolate mixture has cooled, transfer it to a food processor, add the icing sugar and pulse until smooth and well combined. (Alternatively, whisk in the icing sugar using a hand-held electric mixer.)
  • When the cake has completely cooled, spread the icing evenly over the top and sides, then sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts. When the icing has dried, serve.