Luck of the Irish Car Bomb

Saint Paddy's Day is upon us and our sweet treat extraordinaire, Mandy, has already started planning her dessert menu.  As if Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Shamrock Cookies aren't enough, she will also be making her Irish Car Bomb Cake, a moist, chocolaty, beer-based hunk of sin that was inspired by a popular Irish drink made with Guinness Stout, Bailey's Irish Cream, and Jameson Whiskey.  I wouldn't recommend drinking more than one unless you want to see leprechauns, but the cake is perfectly safe.  For those of you who won't be lucky enough to make it in to try a slice, Mandy has been sweet enough to share her recipe.

Irish Car Bomb Cake

Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

1 stick softened butter

5 TBSP Baileys Irish Cream

Whip butter with electric mixer, slowly add sugar.  When first two ingredients are mixed together, drizzle in Irish cream until smooth.  Set aside. 

Cake

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup Guinness draught stout

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup low fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease cake pan and lightly flour.  In small pan, stir together cocoa powder and beer.  Heat over low heat until smooth.  Set aside. 

Mix together the rest of the dry ingredients except sugar.  In mixer, beat butter until creamy.  Add sugar gradually.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. 

Stir buttermilk into beer and cocoa mix.  Add about 1/3rd of beer mix into creamed butter and mix on low.  Add 1/3rd flour mixture and continue mixing.  Continue alternating beer and flour mixtures until all is combined.  (Phew...that's a lot of mixing)

Pour batter into cake pan and bake 25-35 minutes or until done.  You can poke the cake with a toothpick in the middle, if it comes out clean, the cake is done.  Allow cake to cool, and then frost.