When you marry a Fitzpatrick and live near Boston it is necessary to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. Before we had kids, Bubba and I would head to an Irish pub and drink green beer. Before I met Bubba, I drank way to much green beer and listened to bad Irish bands at the Black Rose with my college roommate, Amy, also an Irish girl.  When I was a kid, my grandmother made corn beef and cabbage and gave us green carnations on St. Patty’s Day. I guess in some way I have always celebrated this holiday. This year with a new baby in the house, C and G to take care of, and a complete lack of energy, our celebration will be minimal. Sure I will have a beer to celebrate. I just may fall asleep shortly after I finish it. I may even attempt to make this corn beef and cabbage recipe. Maybe Bubba will help the kids make a leprechaun trap this weekend.

I am not sure how we will actually celebrate this holiday. So in anticipation of a busy weekend and not enough sleep, I made a chocolate stout cake with vanilla bean mascarpone frosting a few days early. This was my first attempt making a chocolate stout cake. I love chocolate, but I am not a huge fan of stout beer, so I was a bit hesitant to try this recipe. I am so glad I gave it a shot anyway, because it is by far one of the tastiest cakes I’ve made! The chocolate and the stout are similar in that they both add a dark, bold flavor. The sour cream keeps the cake super moist. The sweet vanilla bean mascarpone frosting adds the perfect balance of sweetness to a slightly bitter crumb. Overall, I love this cake!

The recipe suggests serving the cake with a stout beer like Guinness. Bubba tried it and said it is a great pairing. Who knew?

I chose mascarpone (Italian style cream cheese) instead of traditional cream cheese because I had a container of it in the fridge. While making the frosting, I got distracted by N’s crying and over-beat it. The butter and cream cheese separated a bit. I almost threw it out, but Bubba said it still tasted good. I went ahead and frosted the cake, and, yes, it did still taste good. Next time I make cream cheese frosting, I’ll follow these tips by Joy the Baker.

Have a great St. Patty’s Day!

Chocolate Stout Cake with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Frosting

recipe slightly adapted from Simply Recipes

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup stout of stout beer, like Guinness

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups superfine sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan with butter. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.

Add the beer and butter to a large sauce pan and cook over medium-high heat until the butter is completely melted. Add the cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk together until combined. Remove from heat. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl beat together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the sour cream mixture to the butter & beer mixture and whisk together until fully incorporated.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the beer-butter mixture and whisk together until it just comes together. Do not over whisk!

Pour the batter into the prepared spring-form pan. Drop the pan on the countertop a few times to shake out the air bubbles in the batter .

Bake for about 50-60 minutes, but check doneness at 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan, on a wire rack. When cool, run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan. Remove the ring from the pan. Carefully transfer cake to cake stand. Spread on the frosting and serve with a nice, cold stout. Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Frosting

recipe inspired by Simply Recipes cream cheese frosting

will frost 1 8 or 9 inch cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 oz of mascarpone cheese

2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, scraped

pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese for a few minutes on medium speed. Add the butter and beat until smooth.  Scrape down the bowl.

Add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean. Slowly add the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. (Add more powdered sugar if you want it sweeter.)

Refrigerate the frosting for about an hour to help it to firm up. Spread on cooled cake and serve!

5 Stout Desserts You Should Make for St. Patty’s Day!

If you love Guinness and you love vanilla ice cream try a Guinness Float! Gimme Some Oven has the recipe for you.

Two of Bubba’s favorite things is bacon and beer. I may need try this beer candied bacon recipe from Tide and Thyme very soon!

Do you love cupcakes and chocolate covered pretzels? Try My Baking Addiction’s stout cupcakes with chocolate covered pretzels. Sounds amazing!

Guinness. Chocolate. Pudding. Yes, it exists. Head over to Sprinkle Bakes for the recipe.

I love snickerdoodles. Heather Cristo came up with a twist on the traditional cookie just in time for St. Patty’s Day. Head over to her blog for the Guinness Snickerdoodles recipe. I hope to make them soon!