The Recipe I Make Every Single Year for St. Patrick’s Day

For my entire childhood, I thought I was more than 50% Irish. My mother’s maiden name is Burke, and her father’s family had emigrated from County Mayo to Boston before he was born. My father claimed to have roots in Ireland as well, but the details were a little fuzzy. Turns out they were more than a little ambiguous, because when I participated in a DNA analysis a few years back, it turned out I am a whopping 6% Irish. 

No matter my actual heritage, I identify as a very fond connoisseur of Irish-style stout. After each of my three children were born, it was one of the first things I craved (for strength!), and it’s an ingredient I always have on hand for cooking. 

Stout is great in chili and hearty braises, but where it really shines is in a decadent chocolate cake. I’ve been making a version of this chocolate stout loaf cake for years, even after my minor identity crisis. It mixes up quickly by hand in one bowl and is topped with a Baileys glaze that improves the texture of the cake as it sits. 

Quick Tips

• When testing this recipe, I used a chocolate truffle-style stout I found at my local Trader Joe’s, which added even more dimension to the dark chocolate notes, but any Irish-style stout will do the trick. 
• The glaze has quite a kick, so if you prefer a less boozy bite, feel free to swap the Baileys for heavy cream. 
• If you want to make this cake ahead, my best advice is to bake the cake one day in advance and store it tightly wrapped, then glaze it right before serving. 

Make It a St. Patrick’s Day Feast

• Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Beef Stew
• Colcannon
  

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two of the sides. Set aside.

Make the batter: 

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, stout, oil, vanilla, and instant coffee until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes. 

Set a fine-mesh strainer or sifter over the bowl and add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the strainer. Gently tap until all of the dry ingredients have passed through. Whisk the batter until only a few streaks of dry flour remain.

Add the water: 

Add the boiling water to the cake batter and whisk until smooth. The batter will be quite thin. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake: 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached but no wet batter, about 55 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make the glaze:

Once the cake is cool, in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, Baileys or heavy cream, and salt until smooth and creamy. 

Glaze and finish:

Use the parchment sling to lift the cooled cake out of the pan and transfer it to a serving platter. Pour the glaze on top of the cake, spreading it with a small offset spatula as needed to help it cover the whole cake. Sprinkle with the shaved dark chocolate, if using. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for the glaze to set, then slice and serve. 

Leftover cake can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. I find the flavor is even better the second day, but the glaze won’t be as prominent on top since it soaks into the cake.

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