Mike English//Hearst Owned

Chocolate Stout Christmas Cake

Name: Chocolate Stout Christmas Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h 10 min
Total time: 4 h 35 min
Yield: 20 serving(s)
Ingredients: 500 mL Guinness or other dark stout; 300 g sultanas; 300 g raisins; 150 g dried apricots, finely chopped; 75 g chopped mixed peel; 175 g butter, softened, plus extra to grease; 200 g light muscovado sugar; 4 medium eggs; 125 g ground almonds; 50 g cornflour, sifted; 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 tsp. ground allspice; 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; finely grated zest 2 oranges; 90 g bar Green & Black's dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, finely grated or whizzed in a food processor

Adding dark chocolate and stout makes for a rich, juicy cake that's livened up with a generous pinch of spice and tangy zest. Deliciously moist, it doesn't need to be fed while it's maturing.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 07 October 2019

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Try this delicious, moist Christmas cake, heady with spice, citrus and rich stout.

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Yields:

20 serving(s)

Prep Time:

25 mins

Cook Time:

4 hrs 10 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs 35 mins

Cal/Serv:

311

Ingredients

500 ml Guinness or other dark stout
300 g sultanas
300 g raisins
150 g dried apricots, finely chopped
75 g chopped mixed peel
175 g butter, softened, plus extra to grease
200 g light muscovado sugar
4 medium eggs
125 g ground almonds
50 g cornflour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
finely grated zest 2 oranges
90 g bar Green & Black's dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, finely grated or whizzed in a food processor

Directions

1. Step 1 Bring Guinness to the boil in a medium pan over high heat and bubble until reduced to 200ml (7fl oz). Empty into a non-metallic bowl; cool. Stir in dried fruit and mixed peel, cover and leave to soak overnight.
2. Step 2Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan) mark.
3. Step 3Grease and line a 20.5cm (8in) round, 9cm (31/2in) deep cake tin with baking parchment. Next, wrap a double layer of baking parchment around the outside of the tin, securing it with string – this will help prevent the sides of the cake from over-browning.
4. Step 4Using a freestanding mixer, or in a large bowl with a handheld electric whisk, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5min.
5. Step 5Add eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition and alternating with a small spoonful of ground almonds between each addition. Add remaining almonds, cornflour and spices and whisk briefly to combine. Next, using a large metal spoon, mix in the soaked fruit mixture, orange zest and chocolate.
6. Step 6Scrape into prepared tin and level. Bake for 3½-4hr until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10min, then transfer to a wire rack (keeping it in its baking parchment) and cool completely.
7. Step 7To store, wrap cooled cake (still in its parchment) in several layers of clingfilm, followed by a layer of foil. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.

Per Serving:

Calories: 311
Protein: 4g
Total Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Carbohydrates: 41g
Total sugars: 38g
Fibre: 2g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time