Oven is here!!!

Yes folks, it is a Happy Halloween over here! I went on a bit of a baking frenzy last night. Billie Holiday, local port, and a brand new oven make for a fine Friday evening indeed. I dusted off an old favorite and dressed it up in its very own Halloween costume to bring to a party this evening. This being a city in which beer is king, it only seemed appropriate to make this moist chocolate cake with Guinness. The malty flavor of the stout is a nice backdrop for the chocolate flavor and a vanilla malted buttercream echos that flavor in the frosting. So whether you are heading out to party, trick-or-treating with your own little goblins, or just curling up with The Great Pumpkin, I hope your weekend is full of sweet things like this one.

Guinness Cake

2 c. Guinness

1 c. butter

3/4 c. cocoa

2 c. AP flour

2 c. sugar

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3/4 c. sour cream

2 eggs

Pour Guinness into a medium saucepan and simmer until reduced by half. Add butter and melt. Whisk in cocoa and set aside to cool to room temperature. Sift together dry ingredients, set aside. Combine sour cream and eggs and add to cooled cocoa mixture. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter into 24 prepared muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes of until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.

Vanilla Malted Buttercream

4 egg whites, room temperature

2/3 c. water

1 1/3 c. sugar

1 lb butter

1 T vanilla

1/2 c. malted milk powder

Place egg whites in bowl of a standing mixer. Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan and cook to 230 degrees. When syrup reaches 230 degrees, turn mixer on high speed and begin beating egg whites. Bring syrup up to 242 degrees while whites are beating. (Whites should now be holding soft peaks. ) Pour syrup into whites, continuing to beat on high speed. Continue beating until mixture has cooled. You can test the temperature by touching the bottom of the mixing bowl. When cool to the touch, turn mixer to medium and begin adding butter in small chunks. Continue beating until all butter is added and mixture looks homogeneous. Beat in vanilla and malted milk powder.