Chocolate Stout Cake

TO MAKE THE CAKE

It is important to line angel food cake pan with parchment paper. Set pan on parchment paper; trace around bottom of pan and hole in the center; cut on lines to form bottom piece. For the side pieces, cut four 4 x 8-inch rectangles of parchment paper. For the center cone, cut two 5 x 8-inch rectangles. Before lining pan with parchment paper, coat the sides, bottom, and center cone of pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place bottom piece of parchment paper in pan. Then position the four 4 x 8-inch pieces around side so that edges overlap slightly. Wrap one of the 5 x 8-inch pieces around center cone. Spray parchment paper completely with cooking spray. Wrap second 5 x 8-inch piece around the cone and spray with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350° with the rack in the center of oven. Warm butter and beer in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly. In a large bowl, mix together Chocolate Cake Mix and sugar. Add vanilla and cooled beer mixture; stir well. Add eggs and mix again. The batter should be thick and a dark chocolate color. Pour batter into prepared angel food cake pan.

Bake in oven 65 to 73 minutes. Cake is done when a long toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. Cake should be moist, so be careful to not overcook. Leave cake to cool completely, at least 30 minutes, before removing from the pan. Frost cooled cake with Heavenly Frosting.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING

Place cream cheese into bowl of an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment; beat on medium-low speed until smooth and there are no large lumps remaining. Add ½ cup of Vanilla Frosting Mix to mixer bowl and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Repeat two more times with remaining frosting mix. Once all of the frosting mix is added, mix for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until smooth and free of lumps. Remove bowl from mixer. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the frosting until fully combined, with no lumps or streaks.

TO FROST CAKE

Frost the cooled cake by first spreading about a ½-inch layer of frosting evenly across the top just to the top edges of the cake. Use a silicone spatula to scrape off any overhang when finished so that edge of the frosting is straight and the sides of the cake remain clean of frosting. Fill a large pastry bag with the rest of the frosting, and cut about ½ inch off the tip of the bag. Make mounds of frosting about 1-inch across all around top of cake, until top is completely covered. To create the look of foam, use a finger or small spatula to push random mounds together and to ruffle up the frosting here and there. If needed, clean up the outside edge of the frosting with a large offset spatula or other straight-edged utensil.

Cover and refrigerate for up to three days, until ready to eat.

NOTE

Cake can be baked the day before frosting; just leave baked cake in the pan and wrap in plastic. Cake must be completely cool before removing from pan or it might deflate. Remove from pan when ready to frost. If you do not have enough Vanilla Frosting Mix to equal 1 ½ cups, use powdered sugar to make up the difference. Do not frost warm cake, as frosting might melt. Frosted cake can be stored, covered, in refrigerator for up to three days.

© Pamela's Products, Inc.