Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Meringue Icing

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250ml) Guinness or any dark stout beer 
• ½ cup (125ml) freshly brewed coffee 
• 1 cup (250g) butter, melted 
• ½ cup (60g) cocoa powder 
• 2 cups (300g) treacle sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tsp (10ml) vanilla essence 
• ⅔ cup (160ml) buttermilk or milk 
• 2 cups (300g) cake flour 
• 2 tsp (10ml) bicarbonate of soda 
• ½ tsp (3ml) baking powder 
• 1 slab (150g) dark chocolate, chopped 

Meringue icing: 

• ½ cup (100g) white sugar 
• 2 tsp (10ml) instant coffee  
• ¼ cup (60ml) water 
• 2 egg whites  
• Pinch salt 
• Pinch cream of tartar  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. 
2. Line two 20–23cm cake tins with baking paper. 
3. Combine stout, coffee, butter, cocoa powder, treacle sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk or milk. 
4. In a separate bowl combine flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. 
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. 
6. Fold in chopped chocolate and divide batter between cake tins. 
7. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
8. Allow cake to cool in the tins for 5–10 minutes, then unmould and leave to cool on a wire rack. 
9. Combine white sugar, coffee and water in a pot over medium heat. 
10. Stir until sugar has dissolved, then bring to a simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes (it should bubble). 
11. Combine egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. 
12. Add sugar syrup to eggs in a thin stream while mixer is still running.  
13. Increase speed and mix for another 10–12 minutes, or until meringue is thick, glossy and cool to the touch. 
14. Spread each cooled cake with meringue icing and stack on top of each other. Toast the top layer if you like using a blowtorch.  
15. Toast the top layer if you like using a blowtorch. 
16. Slice and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.  

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