DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STOUT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. For Cake: Preheat oven to 350'F Grease two 9 inch cake pans. Lay parchment circles into the bottoms of each pan, and grease parchment as well.
• 2. Place a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat on the stove. Add black coffee, butter, and 1 cup of stout to the sauce pan and bring it all to a low simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Take off the heat and set aside.
• 3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
• 4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream sugar and eggs together.
• 5. Add vanilla extract and sour cream to the egg mixture and mix on medium speed until a bit fluffy. About 3 minutes.
• 6. Add stout/cocoa mixture to the egg mixture slowly. Be sure the stout has cooled enough to where it will not cook the eggs. Complete incorporate. Side note: if you are worried it might be a little too warm to add to the eggs, use a whisk to add about a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture to the egg batter and whisk vigorously. This will help temper the eggs to keep them from cooking.
• 7. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in 3rds. Completely incorporate each 3rd of flour before adding next 3rd of flour.
• 8. With the mixer still on, add the remaining 1/2 cup of stout and turn mixer on high to whip the stout into the batter.
• 9. Pour batter out into the two pans. Bake on a center rack for 40 minutes, or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire wrack.
• 10. For Butter Cream: Whip butter for 2 minutes on medium speed then slowly add sugar. Once the sugar and butter is all fluffy, add cream, then add cocoa and vanilla. Completely incorporate all ingredients and set aside.
• 11. For Chocolate Cream icing: 1- Bring cream to a simmer in a large sauce pan. Once it is to a simmer take it off the heat and add chocolate. Mix until chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Pour out into a large mixing bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. Mix the icing a little bit every 15 minutes or so. 2- This does take 2 hours to set, so plan your timing out.
• 12. Assembly: 1- Once cakes are completely cooled, turn them out. Level off the tops of each cake, as they are likely to have domed slightly during baking. Cut each cake in half horizontally. You will have 4 cake layer total. 2- Place one cake layer down on a cake dish or decorating wheel and spread chocolate butter cream frosting on first layer. Repeat this until all four layer have been laid. Do not put butter cream frosting on the very top layer however. 3- Once cake is stacked and even spread the chocolate cream icing all over the outside of the cake until smooth. 4- Decorate and garnish as you please. I piped icing into borders and added extra chocolate chip on top.