This is a really simple but still impressive cake, with dark ale to keep it moist and add extra flavour – a great make ahead dessert.
Ingredients
For the chocolate and ale cake
- 200ml/7fl oz dark
ale, plus 4 tbsp for the icing - 50g/1¾oz
cocoa powder - 110g/4oz
butter, softened - 275g/9¾oz soft dark
brown sugar - 2 large free-range
eggs - 175g/6oz
plain flour - ¼ tsp
baking powder - 1 tsp
bicarbonate of soda - 220g/8oz good-quality
dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) - 220g/8oz
icing sugar - 100g/3½oz soft
butter
For the muscovado and malt cream
- 250ml/9fl oz
double cream - 50g/1¾oz muscovado sugar
- 50g/1¾oz malt extract
- pinch
salt
Method
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For the chocolate and ale cake, grease and flour a 25cm/10in loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
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Slowly mix the dark ale into the cocoa powder to form a paste.
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In a separate bowl, beat the butter and soft dark brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, then add the eggs one at a time beating between each addition.
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Stir in the cocoa and ale mixture. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in batches, stirring between each addition.
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Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
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Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water.
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Beat the icing sugar and butter together to form a soft paste. Add four tablespoons of dark ale and then fold in the melted chocolate.
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For the muscovado and malt cream, whip all the ingredients together in a large bowl until thick and smooth.
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When the cake has cooled completely, cut it into slices.
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Serve with the beer and chocolate icing spread over the cake and a dollop of muscovado and malt cream on the side.
