Clodagh McKenna’s Ultimate Guinness Cake is the only recipe you need for Paddy’s Day

Sounds like heaven.

We are about to celebrate yet another St. Patrick's Day, and while it does fall on a Friday this year, sometimes staying in with a slice of cake is more appealing. Rich, decadent and delicious, this Guinness-flavoured chocolate cake is literally the most perfect thing to whip up next week for our collective at-home St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Speaking about the recipe, McKenna said: “Every year, without fail, I create a St Patrick’s Day chocolate Guinness cake to share with friends, but this is the first time I’ve made one using Flora Buttery and it is delicious! The cake is extra spongey and moist, and the iconic taste of the Guinness really came through." McKenna says she hopes the recipe will tempt others into making this very Irish dessert for their celebrations too. “While parties won’t be possible this St. Patrick’s Day, I hope this recipe will inspire others to get baking in celebration of the Emerald Isle this year.”

Clodagh McKenna's Ultimate Guinness Cake

Ingredients For the cake 260g Flora buttery 300ml Guinness/other stout/non-alcoholic stout 100g cocoa powder 2 eggs 420g caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 180ml buttermilk 300g plain flour 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp baking powder For the icing 300g icing sugar, sifted 100g Flora buttery 340g cream cheese Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C /325°F/gas mark 3. Line the base of a 30cm round spring form tin with baking parchment.
2. To make the cake, heat the Flora Buttery in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Stir in the Guinness (or other stout/non-alcoholic stout), then remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and buttermilk and then slowly add the Guinness mixture, whisking all the time.
4. Next sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, and whisk into the wet mixture until it is all well combined.