Magic Chocolate Stout Cake

When I went away to college, I knew one of the things I would miss the most was my mom’s cooking. So that I could attempt (the key word is “attempt”) to recreate some of our family’s meals, my mom created what has become my Bible, a handwritten collection of my favorite recipes in a spiral bound notebook. Included in her guide was this recipe for “pudding cake.” The version below is adapted from my mom’s, replacing the water in the original recipe with stout beer. I call it magic cake, because the cake creates its own hot fudge sauce during the baking process, making it the ideal treat to serve with ice cream. I love the coffee richness that the stout brings, and it’s a snazzy dessert to throw together at the last minute – it doesn’t even require eggs!

 

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup milk
2 T. melted butter

For the topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cup of your favorite stout beer

Start by preheating oven to 350 degrees, and spraying a 9×9 inch square pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients for the cake: the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix well to incorporate, and then slowly add in melted butter to dry ingredients, followed by the milk. Spread the cake mixture into the bottom of the 9×9 pan. In another bowl, mix the 1/4 cup cocoa powder and the brown sugar. Sprinkle this topping evenly over the cake batter. Next, microwave the stout for approximately 2 minutes, until just warm. Then pour warmed beer over the topping and cake mixtures. Bake the cake for approximately 40 minutes until cake portion is set. There will still be a “sauce” underneath the cake that will not set. Top with whipped cream or your favorite ice cream and serve warm.