How to Make a Guinness and Baileys Chocolate Cake with Silky Dark Ganache

There are chocolate cakes, and then there are Irish chocolate cakes. This Guinness and Baileys chocolate cake sits firmly in a category of its own — a gloriously dense, fudgy bake infused with the malty depth of Guinness stout, then crowned with the most indulgent Baileys Irish Cream ganache you can imagine. It is the kind of cake that stops conversation the moment it appears on the table. Chris from The Irish Baker Abroad has mastered this recipe, and once you bake it, you will understand why.

What sets this cake apart from an ordinary chocolate cake is the magic that happens when you combine Guinness with butter and cocoa powder on the hob. The stout adds a subtle bitterness and a malty undertone that amplifies the chocolate flavour without making the cake taste of beer. It is a trick Irish bakers have been using for decades, and for good reason. Paired with a Baileys ganache that sets to a luxuriously thick, glossy finish, this is a showstopper bake that suits everything from a dinner party dessert to a birthday centrepiece.

If you enjoy indulgent Irish baking, you might also love Chris’s classic bread and butter pudding or his traditional Irish coffee slice — both equally crowd-pleasing and built around that distinctly Irish combination of comfort and flavour.

Why Guinness Makes Such a Difference in Baking

It might seem counterintuitive to pour a pint of stout into a cake batter, but Guinness is one of the most effective baking ingredients in the Irish kitchen. Its roasted barley notes deepen the flavour of cocoa exponentially, much the same way that a splash of espresso intensifies chocolate in a brownie. The carbon dioxide in the stout also helps to leaven the batter ever so slightly, contributing to the cake’s characteristic moist, open crumb.

Chris is clear on this point: any stout will do the job if Guinness is unavailable. Murphy’s or Beamish — both Cork stouts with proud brewing traditions — work beautifully. What matters is the roasted, bitter edge that stout brings to the batter. It does not taste like beer once baked; it tastes like the richest, most deeply flavoured chocolate cake you have ever eaten.

The combination of Guinness and Irish chocolate Guinness cake tradition is well-established, but adding Baileys Irish Cream to the ganache is the flourish that transforms this from a great bake into something truly memorable. Baileys softens the ganache, lends a subtle whiskey-and-cream warmth, and creates a topping that is almost impossible to resist eating straight from the bowl.

Guinness and Baileys Chocolate Cake — Full Recipe

This recipe makes one 9-inch round cake, serving 10 to 12 people. The batter is straightforward to put together — no electric mixer required — and the ganache, while it needs a couple of hours in the fridge to firm up, is genuinely one of the simplest frostings you will ever make.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 250 ml Guinness (or any stout)
• 225 g unsalted butter, cubed
• 75 g cocoa powder
• 450 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150 ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 275 g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

For the Baileys Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 200 g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 200 ml double cream
• 50 ml Baileys Irish Cream liqueur

Method

Step 1: Prepare Your Tin and Oven

Grease a 9-inch round cake tin thoroughly and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan (325°F) or 180°C conventional (350°F). Getting the tin properly lined is important — the batter is very fluid and will seep into any gaps.

Step 2: Melt the Guinness and Butter

Pour the Guinness into a medium saucepan and add the cubed butter. Heat over a low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has completely melted into the stout. You will notice the mixture foaming slightly as it heats — this is perfectly normal. Once melted, remove the pan from the heat.

Step 3: Whisk in the Cocoa

Add the cocoa powder to the warm Guinness and butter mixture. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth, with no lumps remaining. The mixture will turn a very deep, dark brown — almost black. Set it aside to cool for 10 minutes or so before proceeding. Adding it too hot to the egg mixture could scramble the eggs.

Step 4: Build the Wet Mixture

In a large mixing bowl, add the caster sugar. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork — just enough to break the yolks — then pour them into the sugar. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Whisk the whole lot together until smoothly combined. Pour in the slightly cooled cocoa and Guinness mixture and whisk again until everything is well incorporated.

Step 5: Add the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the plain flour, baking soda, and salt. Give them a good whisk to distribute the raising agent evenly. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, whisking gently between each addition. The key here is to mix until the flour is just incorporated — do not overbeat the batter. Some small lumps are absolutely fine, and a light touch at this stage keeps the crumb tender. The finished batter will be remarkably runny; this is intentional.

Step 6: Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared tin. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the deepest part of the centre comes out clean. Because of the high sugar and liquid content, the top of the cake may crack slightly — this is normal and will be hidden by the ganache. Begin checking at the 50-minute mark and add time in 5-minute increments as needed.

Step 7: Cool Completely

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack. Leave it to cool completely at room temperature before you even think about the ganache. Attempting to frost a warm cake will cause the ganache to melt and slide off — patience here is rewarded with a beautiful finish.

Step 8: Make the Baileys Ganache

Place your finely chopped dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the double cream over a medium heat until you see small bubbles just beginning to break around the edges — it should be steaming hot but not at a rolling boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave it undisturbed for a full five minutes. Then whisk gently from the centre outwards in small circles, gradually incorporating all the cream, until you have a smooth, glossy ganache. Pour in the Baileys and whisk again until fully combined.

Step 9: Chill the Ganache

The freshly made ganache will be too fluid to spread. Press a sheet of cling film directly onto the surface of the ganache — this prevents a skin from forming — and refrigerate for one to two hours. When it is ready, it will have thickened considerably and hold its shape when scooped with a spoon. It should still be soft enough to spread easily; if it has become too firm, leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes before using.

Step 10: Frost and Serve

Place the cooled cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon the ganache onto the top of the cake and use an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread it across the surface. As Chris says, do not overthink this step — a rustic, homemade look is part of the charm. Nudge some ganache gently over the edges so it drips naturally down the sides. Finish with chocolate shavings or a light dusting of cocoa powder if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Chris’s Tips for the Perfect Bake

A few notes from Chris that will make a genuine difference to your results:

• Lightly beat the eggs first. Just a few strokes with a fork before adding them to the sugar mixture helps them incorporate more evenly into the batter.
• Let the Guinness mixture cool. Adding it too hot to the eggs risks curdling the mixture. Ten minutes of cooling time is all it takes.
• Do not overmix. Once the flour goes in, treat the batter gently. Overmixing develops gluten and makes for a tougher crumb.
• The cling film trick for ganache. Pressing cling film directly onto the surface is not optional — it prevents a thick, leathery skin from forming that ruins the texture.
• Extra Baileys is not a mistake. Chris himself admits to “a bit extra” whenever the moment calls for it. It is your ganache; make it yours.

Variations Worth Trying

Once you have made this cake once, you will want to experiment. A few directions worth exploring:

White chocolate Baileys ganache — swap the dark chocolate for white chocolate and reduce the Baileys slightly (white chocolate ganache can be more temperamental, but the result is stunning). Coffee Baileys ganache — add a teaspoon of good quality instant espresso powder to the ganache along with the Baileys for a coffee-chocolate note. If you enjoy the coffee-chocolate combination, our Irish coffee slice recipe is another excellent place to explore it.

Two-layer cake — double the recipe and split the batter between two 9-inch tins. Sandwich the layers with whipped cream or a salted caramel buttercream before topping with the ganache. Individual portions — bake the batter in a 12-hole muffin tin at 160°C fan for 25 to 30 minutes for rich individual cakes that are ideal for a gathering where slicing a cake is impractical.

Watch Chris Make It

There is no better way to understand the consistency of the batter, the texture of the finished cake, and how the ganache should look when it is ready to spread than watching Chris walk through the recipe himself. The video is worth your time even if you have baked countless chocolate cakes before.

For more bakes in this comforting Irish style, Chris’s lemon drizzle cake and traditional Irish scones are two of the most popular recipes on Love Ireland — both excellent starting points if you are building a repertoire of reliable Irish bakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this cake without Guinness?

Yes. Any dark stout will work — Murphy’s, Beamish, or any craft stout with a roasted flavour profile. If you want to make a completely alcohol-free version, you can substitute the Guinness with strong black coffee or even dark cola. The flavour will be slightly different but still excellent. For the ganache, simply omit the Baileys and use an equal volume of additional cream instead.

How long does this cake keep?

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, this cake will keep well for three to four days. The ganache helps to seal in moisture, so the cake often tastes even better on day two than it does freshly baked. If your kitchen is warm, store it in the fridge — the ganache can soften in heat — but allow slices to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavour and texture.

Can I freeze the Guinness chocolate cake?

The unfrosted cake freezes very well. Cool it completely, wrap tightly in cling film and then in foil, and freeze for up to two months. Defrost at room temperature overnight before making the ganache fresh. Frosted cake can also be frozen — freeze it uncovered until the ganache is solid, then wrap carefully — but the ganache texture may be slightly different after defrosting.

What percentage of dark chocolate works best for the ganache?

Chris recommends a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. Higher-percentage chocolate (75-85%) gives a more intense, slightly bitter ganache that pairs exceptionally well with the sweetness of the Baileys. Anything lower than 70% risks a ganache that is too sweet and does not set firmly enough. Avoid milk or white chocolate in this ganache unless you are deliberately making a variation, as the ratios will need to change significantly.

For more Irish baking inspiration, explore our beef and Guinness stew — another classic that demonstrates just how much depth this iconic Irish ingredient adds to everything it touches.

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