Black Velvet Cake

There's something about the festive period that forces me to soak anything and everything with booze. We've started rolling out a new range of cocktail cupcakes in the bakery, I have various jars of fruit infused alcohol maturing away in my kitchen, I physically cannot go to the shops without purchasing a bottle of something fun, I mean I'm even writing this with a gin and tonic in my hand. 'Tis the season after all.

This black velvet cake is no exception. A delightfully dark and fudgy Guinness chocolate cake topped with a light and fluffy champagne cream cheese frosting. Woah, right? I don't think I've ever met a cake more deserving of a place on a Christmas table than this majestic specimen. Guinness for the dudes, champagne for the ladies, or the other way around of course. I know plenty of lasses that can knock back more than a few pints of the black stuff, I am from Newcastle after all. Ha!

In short, make this cake and get ready to become everyone's best friend. I've yet to meet someone that can resist it's Irish charms.

Black Velvet Cake Adapted from Nigella Laweson
You will need: 375ml Guinness 375g unsalted butter 150g cocoa 600g caster sugar 225ml sour cream 3 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 275g plain flour 2 1/2 tsp bicarb
250g unsalted butter, softened 125g philidelphia 750g icing sugar Splash of full fat milk 1/2tsp champagne flavouring
Method: Heat oven to 175ºC. Butter and line two 9" springform cake tins. In a large saucepan, combine the Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until the butter melts and remove from heat. Add the cocoa and sugar stirring till combined.
In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add to Guinness mixture and stir together. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into your prepared tins, and bake until risen and firm, around 45 minutes. Once baked allow the cakes to cool completely in their tins before removing to decorate.
For the frosting whip the butter and cream cheese together till creamy. Pour the icing sugar and mix together, slowly, drop in the champagne flavouring remembering less is more. Add a splash of milk until you reach a spreadable texture. Slather half of the frosting on the first cake, sandwich with the second cake and top with the remaining frosting.