Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe

livewellbakeoften.com · 2026 · 12 servings

Against 357 chocolate cake recipes

More salt than 82% of recipes and less fat than 76%.

How it compares

Against the typical cake: the median of 357 chocolate cake recipes, per 100 g of flour.

More salt than 82% of recipes: 2.4% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 1.1%, about twice as much.
Less fat than 76% of recipes: 44% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 62%.
Less liquid than 79% of recipes: 97% of the flour weight against the typical recipe's 138%.

Percentile on each ingredient. Shaded ring: the middle half of recipes.

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled (250 grams))250 g
¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder ((65 grams; avoid using Dutch process))65 g
2 teaspoons baking soda≈ 12 g
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)≈ 2.4 g
1 teaspoon salt≈ 6 g
1 cup granulated sugar ((200 grams))200 g
1 cup packed light brown sugar ((200 grams))200 g
½ cup canola or vegetable oil ((120 ml))≈ 109 g
½ cup buttermilk ((120 ml))≈ 122 g
½ cup full-fat sour cream ((120 grams))120 g
2 large eggs≈ 100 g
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract≈ 8 g
1 cup Guinness beer ((240 ml; extra stout, draught, or non-alcoholic will work))≈ 237 g

Listed, but not counted in the percentages below.

1 ½ cups unsalted butter (softened (340 grams; 3 sticks))340 g
4 ½ cups powdered sugar ((540 grams))540 g
4 to 5 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream (can swap some with heavy cream for a lighter flavor)≈ 67 g
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract≈ 6 g
⅛ teaspoon salt≈ 0.8 g

flour 250 gbatter 1432 g

≈ marks grams converted from cups and spoons with standard densities; the rest are weights the source printed.

Grams per 100 g of flour, and where that falls among all 357 recipes. Shaded: the middle half. Tick: the median.

Nearest by baker's percentages: cocoa, chocolate, sugar, fat, egg, liquid, leavening, salt.