I would say that this makes a great recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but why deprive yourself the rest of the year? The stout makes this one of the richest chocolate cakes I’ve ever tasted, and the hint of whiskey turns the frosting all the way up to 11. Definitely a keeper.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup Chocolate Milk Stout, or your favorite dark beer
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅛ tsp. table salt
• 1½ tsp. baking soda

Frosting

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. Irish Whiskey
• 1½ cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Grease two 9-in. cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat beer and butter until butter is melted. Remove from the heat; whisk in sugar and cocoa powder until blended. Combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla; whisk into beer mixture. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; whisk into beer mixture until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pans on a wire rack.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, cream and whiskey and beat until smooth, then add confectioners’ sugar in small batches until the consistency is thick, smooth and to your liking. (Be careful not to over-beat the icing though!) 
5. Remove cake from the pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Add icing so that cake resembles a frothy pint of beer. Refrigerate leftovers.