Chocolate Guinness cake

This is a wonderful cake - so easy to make and utterly delicious. It is a massive hit in our house with family and friends. It is very moist, delicious and moreish and although you can't really taste the stout there is a tang about it. I have served this for birthdays, christenings, St Patrick's day parties and any sort of celebrations! I urge you to try it as you will love it. This one is for Maddie & Jemima xx

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE
250 millilitres Guinness
250 grams unsalted butter
75 grams cocoa powder
400 grams caster sugar
150 millilitres sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
275 grams plain flour
2½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

FOR THE TOPPING
300 grams cream cheese
150 grams icing sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
125 millilitres double cream (or whipping cream)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.
2. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or 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.
3. Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.
4. When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and cornflour and then beat to combine.
5. If using double cream, add it and beat until you have a spreadable consistency. If using whipping cream, whisk first to soft peaks, add a couple of spoonfuls into the cream cheese mixture and once this is combined, fold in the rest.
6. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.