A rich vegan chocolate cake with stout, iced with a Baileys-inspired dairy-free frosting
It’s my Dad’s birthday and this is his birthday cake! I’ve been planning it for a while and I’m so pleased with how delicious it turned out.
It’s an intense chocolate-y and stout-y cake with an amazing “Baileys” buttercream frosting.
The frosting was inspired by my vegan Irish Cream Ice Cream which uses Irish whiskey, a little bit of cocoa powder and a little bit of coffee to recreate the flavour of Baileys.
You wouldn’t know the difference! And the cake itself is slightly adapted from a recipe I found over at Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body.
At the time of creating this recipe, the only vegan Guinness option was Foreign Extra Guinness.
It’s a lot stronger and more bitter but I think it works better in this cake as the flavour comes through a lot more.
However, I’m very very pleased to say that all forms of Guinness is now vegan-friendly.
More vegan Guinness and “Baileys” recipes:
Guinness Triple Chocolate Vegan Brownies
Vegan Guinness Chocolate Cake with "Baileys" Buttercream
A seriously indulgent vegan cake - Strong chocolate and stout flavour, with sweet Irish cream frosting. Great for birthdays or St Patrick's day celebrations.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Guinness cake
- 250 g / 2 cups plain flour
- 120 g / 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 220 g / 1 cup caster sugar
- 100 g / ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 480 ml / 2 cups Guinness
- 120 ml / ½ cup mild-flavoured vegetable oil
- 2 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the "Baileys" buttercream frosting
- 250 g / 1 cup vegan butter, such as Naturli block
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 600 g / 5 cups icing sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Irish Whiskey, I used Jamesons
- ½ tsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp very strongly brewed coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170c / 350f. Grease and line two 8 inch sandwich tins.
- In a bowl sift the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and sugars. Make a well in the centre, pour in the beer, oil and vanilla. Whisk until there are no lumps.
- Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Once baked, let them cool for 15-20 minutes in their tins before transferring them onto a cooling rack.
- To make the buttercream, cream the vegan butter and vanilla extract together in a stand mixer. Add the icing sugar in a large tbsp at a time until well mixed.
- Beat in the whiskey, cocoa powder and brewed coffee. Taste and adjust quantities if needed until it tastes just like Baileys! Refrigerate for at least an hour before decorating, to make it easier to spread.
- Once the cake has completely cooled (I recommend freezing it or keeping in the fridge overnight before decorating) spread the chilled frosting on top of one layer, sandwich the two layers together and then top the cake with the rest of the frosting.
- Serve and enjoy! It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered.
Notes
The cake is adapted from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
Caryn says
Hiya, I may have missed it, but can’t seem to see what to do with the cider vinegar? It doesn’t get added to anything. Am I just not reading properly?
Cheers
Casey says
All Guinness is vegan, has been for years now.
Aimee says
Hi Casey. This post was created in 2014 and I did update to mention that all Guinness is now vegan in the text but forgot to change the note in my ingredients list so just updated that now. Thanks for reminding me!
Chef Sean says
I was looking for a vegan chocolate stout cake and came across this recipe. It’s very similar to a cake recipe (without the beer) that my Aunt used to make – she called it wacky cake.
I made this recipe for a 4 layer wedding cake – I had to double the recipe so I used 22 Guiness and the rest of the liquid I used cashew milk. I also upped the salt slightly and add 1/2 cup of maple syrup.
This cake was AMAZING! I made a dark chocolate ganache with coconut milk, and used an espresso syrup between each layer. On the outside I put cocoa nibs, vegan cookie crumbs, and mini crunchy chocolate pearls. Cake was absolutely delicious.
Thanks so much I will definitely be making this recipe again and want to try the baileys frosting for sure.
Aimee says
Wow… your cake sounds incredible, especially with that espresso syrup. I am so pleased you liked this recipe – thanks for the lovely feedback!
Ernesta says
Looked really nice, but for some reason it was very bitter. Sadly we will need to through this cake..
Aimee says
Hi Ernesta. Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. It is quite a bitter cake because of the cocoa powder and stout but it should be a very delicious kind of bitter-sweet (like dark chocolate). And just like dark chocolate, it’s not necessarily for everyone but should never taste super bitter to the point where it’s inedible.
There are a few things can cause it to turn out especially bitter, including cooking at too high of a temperature or for too long, using too much baking soda, not using enough sugar or omitting the salt which really helps offset the bitterness of the cocoa powder.
Ellie Wightman says
This cake is INCREDIBLE. We’re making a selection of different cakes for our wedding and this is 100% going to be one.
Done exactly to recipe. We are sold!
Thanks Aimee
Aimee says
Yay! So pleased to hear that and honoured that it’s wedding-worthy. Thanks for the feedback, Ellie and congrats to you :-)
Oli says
This cake is delicious – I reduced the sugar content and used brown sugar to adjusat to my palte and it worked really well. Thanks Aimee.
And just for your cooking awareness Guiness removed isinglass from all f their products in April 2016 and have been vegan ever since :)
Aimee says
Hi Oli, so pleased it turned out well. Yes, great news about Guinness a few years back. It’s my favourite tipple :-) Thanks for letting me know how the cake went and Happy St Patricks!
Megan says
Do you have recommended cooking adjustments for a 9×13 in pan? Thanks! Excited to try.
Aimee says
Hi Megan. I’m afraid I don’t have that information but I just found this: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-pan-sizes/ and it looks like a 13×9 inch pan is equal to 2 x 8×8 inch pans + 1/3 of the mixture. So you could just make one layer using that pan but you might have a little bit of the mixture left over. This is just based on my rough estimates using this guide. Hope it helps.
Ash says
Absolutely delicious. Came out perfectly (some of the comments had me worried, but this couldn’t have been easier or tastier).
I did halve the castor sugar in recipe, and halved the icing quantities (and then only ended up using 1 cup or so of icing sugar), as not big on sweetness. We still had icing left over!
This will definitely be on go to list for quick desserts.
Also, I have a fan oven so cooked at 150°C.
Aimee says
Hi Ash, so glad it turned out well and you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment.
ariann says
How much does this cake rise? I only have one 8 in pan so I’m wondering if I should bake a portion at a time or will I be able to put it all in at once? What will be the safer outcome?
Aimee says
Definitely don’t pour all the batter into 1 x 8 inch pan as it won’t cook through properly and will likely spill over. If you only have one, then I would suggest doing it one at a time.
Kate says
Made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was truly delicious. However, I did have to make it twice as when I followed the recipe for the buttercream frosting, it was too runny and when applied to the cake it wasn’t pipable and made the whole cake collapse. I made it a second time with about 170g of butter (I used vitalite) and 800g of icing sugar and instead of brewed coffee I used half a tsp of espresso powder. I was also able to add a splash more whiskey with those quantities and could pipe the icing nicely onto the cake.
Aimee says
Oh no! I’m sorry that happened. Thank you for the notes. I will adjust the recipe to mention that it really helps to make sure both the cake and the frosting are as cool as possible. I usually freeze the cake layers and keep the buttercream in the fridge overnight as it helps keep everything in place when decorating. But really glad it all worked out the second time around and that you enjoyed the taste!
Mivhelle says
This has become one of my staples, I’ve made it about 4 times. It’s perfect, thanks so much!
Aimee says
So glad you like it!
Brianna says
This recipe was genuinely bad. The cake itself is too strong and bitter, and the icing too runny. Waste of time and money.
Jess Beacroft says
Made this for a friend for a Christmas prezzie, added one egg replacer and put it in cupcake tins instead of cake tins and it worked perfectly! Hopefully he enjoys!
Angela says
Very good recipe, although the first time I made it, it was very crumbly. I added a flax seed egg the second time to help bind it and it worked a lot better.
Aimee says
Glad that worked for you, Angela! Flax is a great binder.
Aggie says
I love this cake. Though I substituted for sugar. Used 1/2 honey, 1/2 damerara sugar and 1/8 granulated sugar. It turned out a bit bitter sweet that I like and it is egg free. That I like more
Ann Piscitelli says
Guinness on draft has been fish bladder free since 2016 and as of January 2018, ALL Guinness in cans/bottles is as well.
Will be hanging with my vegan sister on St.Patty’s Day. I think I’ll try this a single “poke cake” with the Irish Cream recipe from Oh She Glows.
What is caster sugar, btw?
Aimee says
Thanks for confirming, Ann! Caster sugar is a slightly finer sugar than the granulated sugar we have in the UK. Apparently in the US, the baking sugar is naturally finer so just use ordinary sugar. Hope that helps :)
Victoria says
Most amazing cake and so easy! All my friends who tried it were amazed with how lovely it was!!
Aimee says
So happy to hear that, Victoria!!
Helen Davidson says
Hi
I’m planning on making a larger and taller version of this for my friends birthday… Not having baked a Vegan Cake before do you think this cake has the stability to take 3 layers and also can the icing be piped? Many thanks in advance…
Aimee says
I would say 3 layers would be fine! I made a small 3 layer cake for my dad’s birthday once but it was only 8inch tin. I can’t imagine it being a problem for a larger one though. The icing can be piped, yes. Be sure to make sure the cake is nice and cool/chilled before frosting. Your friend will be very happy with the outcome I’m sure! Let me know how it goes
Rebecca says
Thank you for this recipe! This is one of the tastiest cakes I’ve had, and the birthday girl it was made for was very pleased. I did 1.5 cups stout, .5 cups strong coffee, and did a peanut butter frosting.
Suzanne says
I made this cake last night and it turned out very good. You can taste the Guinness and it is very moist. Thanks for sharing this.
Suzanne says
I have never heard cake pans being called sandwich tins before. I assume you meann regular 8inch round pans??
Christine says
Loved the flavor of this cake and the frosting! I must have done something wrong, though, because my cake came out dry and crumbly. It even broke on half when I turned it out onto the cooling rack. Frosting saves everything, though, so I made a little extra and glued it together that way!
Tatjana says
I baked this cake today and its so delicious! Could I blog it in my blog?
Of course I will link to your blog.
Have a nice day,
Tatjana
Laura Mayne says
Thank you very much for this recipe. I have just made it ready for the weekend. I am sure that my menfolk will really enjoy this, as will I!
pete cavert says
probably none left to freeze for PP
Esther says
Hi Amee,
this cake is to die for, I’ve made it many times now and it’s has become our favourite chocolate so far. so thank you very much for sharing this yummy recipe!
Would you know if I could replace the plain flour with splelt flour??
Thanks!!!!
Aimee says
Hi Esther, thank you so much for your comment! Glad to hear you enjoy it as much as I do :-) I have started using spelt in place of plain flour a lot now but find you may need a bit more of the spelt flour in certain recipes. Perhaps an extra 2-4 tbsp in this one? Let me know how you get on!
Kate says
This looks lovely – am going to try to make it tonight as a friend has requested this combo… (will be using a chocolate stout, not Guinness). Is it baking powder or soda? The ingredient list says powder, but instructions say soda. Thanks!
Aimee says
Hi Kate, thanks for pointing that out – just changing it now! It should be baking soda. Hope your friend enjoys it, please let me know how it turns out :-)
Kate says
Thanks, huge hit– dark, delicious, and b oozy. Thank you! I put a photo on my instagram: https://instagram.com/dearmisskate
Aimee says
So glad it was enjoyed! Thanks for letting me know, looks beautiful :-)
Monica says
What a great cake for your dad! He must have been very happy. Hope you’re having a great holiday season.
Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking says
Hi Aimee, I thought I’d stopped by your blog before, but it was Ala (WallFLOUR Girl)’s site instead. And yay for discovering another UK baker. :)
Absolutely love your Guiness cake. It looks amazing, and love the pairing of the Irish ‘Baileys’ Cream frosting too. I think I’d run to the corner and I’d snaffle this cake alone.
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
Looks beautifully dark and delicious Aimee. Shame I can’t eat Guinness!!
Kelly says
Happy happy birthday to your dad, Aimee! This cake looks amazing and is the perfect celebration cake! The guinness just makes this so much more special – love it!
Tamzin says
Man I wish I could eat this!! Looks amazing x
Jane's Adventures in Dinner says
Yum, I’d just love a big bowl of that icing.
Jessica Edmunds says
What a yummy unique idea I wouldn’t have ever thought to make this! xx
Aimee says
So yummy! My dad is Irish and loves his Guinness and Jamesons… so it just had to be done :-)
Ala says
It’s been way too long since I’ve whipped up something likethis in the kitchen, Aimee. This looks so perfect–vegan cakes are so incredibly moist and wonderful, too! Happy Monday!
Aimee says
Gotta get give it a go in the kitchen this Christmas, Ala… ;-)
Laura says
You’ve done it again, I’ve fell completely in love with this cake. I don’t follow a vegan diet but I don’t think I’d even unvegan it because it looks perfect.
Aimee says
Aw, thank you Laura :-) I didn’t mention to anyone it was vegan and no one could tell otherwise!
megan says
Hate to break it to you, but Guiness is not vegan. Isinglas, also known as fish bladder, is used in the brewing process.
Aimee says
Hi Megan, I cover this in my post (read 3rd paragraph) and use a vegan-friendly Guinness called Foreign Extra Stout :-)