Bake Off Recipe: How to make Nigella’s Signature Stout Cake

How to recreate Nigella’s Bake Off Stout Cake at home

The Ultimate Pint in a Cake: How to Recreate Nigella’s Bake Stout Cake at Home

The iconic tent is officially open, Noel and Alison are back with their quick-witted banter, and Paul Hollywood’s handshakes are waiting to be claimed. But tonight’s Great British Bake Off premiere brought something extra delicious to the bench: Nigella Lawson stepping in as judge!

To kick off the new series, Nigella set the very first Signature dish challenge, tasking twelve brand-new bakers with tackling a classic stout cake. If watching the bakers sweat under the tent left you craving a slice, you’re in luck. Nigella’s famous Chocolate Guinness Cake is deceptively simple, magnificently rich, and designed to look exactly like a freshly poured pint of stout, a”dark, rich sponge topped with a velvety, frothy cream cheese head.

What Makes It a Signature Success?

Unlike traditional sponges that rely heavily on aerating creamed butter, Nigella’s stout cake uses a melting method. The dark beer cuts through the sweetness of the sugar, while its carbonation and acidity work alongside sour cream to deliver a damp, fudgy crumb that stays moist for days.

Ingredients

For the Cake Sponge:

• 250 ml Guinness (or your favourite dark stout)
• 250 g Unsalted butter
• 75 g Cocoa powder
• 400 g Caster sugar
• 142 ml Sour cream
• 2 Large eggs
• 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 275 g Plain flour
• 2 ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 300 g Cream cheese (full-fat works best)
• 150 g Icing sugar
• 125 ml Double cream (or whipping cream)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Melt and Infuse Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan / Gas Mark 4) and butter and line a 23cm (9-inch) springform cake tin.

Pour the 250ml Guinness into a large, wide saucepan and add the 250g unsalted butter diced into cubes. Heat gently over a medium flame until the butter has completely melted. Whisk in the 75g cocoa powder and 400g caster sugar until smooth. Remove from the heat. (Tip: Keep heat low to prevent boiling off liquid.)

Step 2: Whisk the Wet Base In a separate bowl or measuring jug, whisk together the 142ml sour cream, 2 large eggs, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract.

Pour this creamy mixture into the saucepan with the dark chocolate beer base and whisk thoroughly to combine. (Tip: Ensure the pan mixture isn’t scalding hot before adding the eggs.)

Step 3: Combine with Dry Ingredients Sift the 275g plain flour and 2 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda directly into the liquid mixture in the pan.

Whisk smoothly until all lumps vanish into a glossy, dark batter. Pour the batter into your prepared cake tin. (Tip: Be careful not to overmix.)

Step 4: Bake and Completely Cool Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.

Leave the cake to cool completely inside the tin on a wire rack. Don’t rush as frosting a warm cake will cause your cream cheese “foam” to slide off!

Step 5: Crown with Frosting Lightly whip the 300g cream cheese in a bowl until smooth, then sift in the 150g icing sugar and combine. Add the 125ml double cream and whip gently until the frosting holds soft peaks.

Transfer your cooled cake to a serving platter. Palette-knife or spoon the soft white frosting generously onto the top only, swirling it outward so it mimics the creamy head of a freshly poured pint.

Star Baker Tips from the Tent

• Full-fat is non-negotiable: Low-fat cream cheese contains too much water, which will cause your topping to run down the sides rather than sit proudly on top.
• Don’t fear the stout: The bitterness cooks out during baking, leaving behind deep, caramelised notes that amplify the chocolate rather than tasting like alcohol.
• Make ahead: Like many dark fruitcakes or gingerbreads, this cake actually improves on day two as the flavours mature.

Recipe credit: Nigella.com

The Great British Bake Off airs Tuesday nights at 8pm on Channel 4.

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