Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

This cake represents the traditional Irish pint of Guinness with it’s black colour and pale frothy head. Although the cake looks heavy. it’s very light and fluffy.

I also made Guinness Cupcakes with the extra mixture and added green sprinkles the colour of the shamrock.

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Chocolate Guinness Cake
by Nigella featured in Feast

Ingredients
Makes about 12 slices

250ml Guinness – 75p
250g unsalted butter – 82p
75g cocoa powder – £1
400g caster sugar – 60p
142ml sour cream – 60p
2 Free Range Eggs Large – 38p
1 tablespoon vanilla extract – 3p
275g plain flour – 8p
2½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda – 3p

For the topping

300g cream cheese – 75p
150g icing sugar – 25p
125ml double cream – 60p

These prices are an estimate and total  £7.15

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4, and butter and line a 9 inch tin.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter in slices, and heat until the butter’s melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar.

Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The cupcakes will need less time, probably about 25-30 minutes, but check.

Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake’s cold, sit it on a plate or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese.

Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.