Coffee Stout Cake with Hazelnut Buttercream

A stunning drip cake that surely has a WOW factor. Use your favorite stout beer along with our coffee and hazelnut bakery emulsions to bring this creamy, decadent dessert to life.

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Ingredients

For Cake:
1 1/2 cups stout beer
1 stick plus 7 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups toasted sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons LorAnn Coffee Bakery Emulsion
1 1/8 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 ¾ teaspoons baking soda

For Whipped Ganache Filling:
200g dark chocolate
250g heavy whipping cream
1 ½ teaspoons LorAnn Coffee Bakery Emulsion

For Buttercream Frosting:
9 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons toasted sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
2 cups unsalted butter, room temp.
1 ½ teaspoons LorAnn Hazelnut Bakery Emulsion

Optional Decorations:
Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons
Crushed hazelnuts
Dark chocolate ganache drip
Seedless raspberry jam

Directions

For Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter three 9-inch round pans and line with parchment.;
3. In large saucepan, combine stout beer and butter. Heat over low until butter is melted.
4. Add cocoa, toasted sugar, and coffee emulsion. Whisk to blend. 
5. In bowl of stand mixer, add sour cream and eggs. Mix on medium until completely combined. Add beer and cocoa mixture and mix 30 seconds more
6. Add flour and baking soda. Mix for 2 minutes or until completely combined. Do not over mix.
7. Divide batter into prepared pans and bake for 1 hour or until the cakes are risen and firm.
8. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. This will take several hours.

For Whipped Ganache Filling:

1. Place chocolate into heat-safe bowl.
2. In small saucepan, heat heavy cream on low until it begins to simmer.
3. Pour cream over chocolate and allow to sit for 2 minutes.
4. Add coffee emulsion and mix until chocolate is completely melted, and combined with heavy cream.
5. Once mixture is cold, add to bowl of stand mixer.
6. Using the whisk attachment, whip on med high for several minutes until the ganache is lighter, fluffy, and has increased in volume.

For Buttercream Frosting:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk flour, sugar, and salt. Add milk and whisk until combined. 
2. Over low heat, bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly. Once mixture is bubbling, cook for 1-2 minutes, constantly scraping the sides and bottom of pan with rubber spatula. 
3. Remove from heat and continue to stir for another minute. 
4. Using rubber spatula, scrape pudding into glass container and place plastic wrap right on top of the pudding. This will keep a skin from forming. 
5. Place pudding in refrigerator and cool completely before use. This will take several hours. 
6. Once pudding is completely cooled, add butter to bowl of stand mixer and beat on medium high until pale, fluffy, and the volume has increased, 7-9 minutes. 
7. With mixer on med/low, add the pudding to the butter, 1 spoon-full at a time, waiting until the pudding is mixed well before adding more. 
8. Once all pudding is mixed in, add hazelnut bakery emulsion and mix for 2 more minutes. 

Assembly

1. Once the cakes are completely cooled, level and trim.
2. Place secure 9-inch cake board to turntable and set first layer of cake on board.
3. Fill large pastry bag fitted with large round tip with hazelnut frosting.
4. On first layer of cake, pipe a 2-inch dam around the edge.
5. Fill center with whipped ganache and smooth to level.
6. Top with second layer of cake and repeat, creating a frosting dam and filling with ganache.
7. Top with third layer and adjust to make sure all layers are level and centered.
8. Using a bit of the hazelnut frosting, coat the cake in a thin crumb coat.
9. Using the pastry bag fitted with the large round tip, apply hazelnut frosting to entire exterior of cake. Once the cake is coated, use your turntable, a large scraper, or offset spatula to smooth out frosting.
10. Get creative and decorate your cake with ganache drip, macarons, berries, or whatever suits the occasion.