CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CHRISTMAS CAKE

Who says Guinness is just for St Patrick's Day? Guinness has a long history as a Christmas baking ingredient -- from truffles to cupcakes to brownies to cake! I've posted several Guinness Cake recipes, but here's a new one for this year's holiday. As always use the very best ingredients. Decorate this fabulous chocolate cake with holiday designs or mistletoe (don't eat the mistletoe). Save the recipe for St. Paddy's Day!

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CHRISTMAS CAKE

Ingredients 

Cake 
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups Guinness
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sour cream

Ganache 
16 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup Guinness
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

Cake 
With rack in middle position, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour sides.
In  bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.
In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with beer and cocoa powder, stirring with whisk. Let cool. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar and salt. With whisk, add lukewarm butter mixture alternately with dry ingredients and eggs. Add sour cream and stir until mixture is smooth.
Divide batter between pans and bake for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of each cake comes out clean. Turn out cakes and let cool.

Ganache 
Place chocolate in bowl. Set aside. In saucepan, bring beer, cream and syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute. With whisk, gently stir mixture until chocolate has completely melted. Add butter and stir until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ganache is spreadable but not too thick. If needed, microwave a few seconds at a time and stir until spreadable.
Cut and discard rounded tops of each cake.
Spread one-quarter of ganache onto one layer. Top with second cake layer and frost with remaining ganache.
Decorate with holiday designs or mistletoe (don't eat the mistletoe-it's poisonous).