Chocolate stout cake with mascarpone frosting by Alana Laverty

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Use butter to grease and line a 2 x 9 x 13" cake tin with parchment. Leave some parchment to flap over the sides for easy removal later. 

Make the cake batter: melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and whisk in stout and cocoa powder. 

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream and vanilla together. Pour this into the beer and butter mixture, and whisk to combine. 

In a large bowl, mix your dry ingredients together: the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Slowly add your chocolate-y stout mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking until just combined.

Pour your cake batter into the greased and lined cake tin. 

Pop on the middle rack of your oven for 35-45 minutes. Check the cake after 35 minutes, do a skewer test, and if it doesn’t come out clean, leave it in for another 10 and check again. 

Remove your cake from the oven once the skewer comes out clean. Leave it to sit in the loaf tin for about 10-20 minutes and then use the parchment paper to lift it onto a cooling rack. 

While your cake cools, make your mascarpone frosting: ensure the butter is very soft and at room temperature. Add it to your stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer. Beat for 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Mix icing sugar with sea salt, then add the sugar mix in parts. 

Once your icing sugar is fully mixed in and your frosting mixture is looking fluffy, add the room temperature mascarpone and vanilla paste. Continue mixing until combined. Do not overmix. 

When your cake is fully cooled, spread your icing on top, finish with a good grating of dark chocolate and slice!

This recipe was taken from the S.Pellegrino and Alana Laverty festive Italian supper club, held in London on 19/11/2025.