Guinness Chocolate Cake With Smoked Salted Caramel Glaze

An ultra rich chocolate cake made with Guinness Stout topped with a smoked salted caramel glaze.
Cake recipe inspired from Epicurious and Joshua Wood.
*Substitution of the Guinness Stout with a higher quality stout is recommended.

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 cup Guinness Stout
• 2 sticks Butter
• ¾ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• ½ tablespoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Cherry Wood Smoked Salt or similar.
• 2 large Eggs
• ¾ cup Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Salted Caramel Glaze:
• 5 tablespoons Butter
• ½ cup packed Dark Brown Sugar
• ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
• Pinch Salt: ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ⅔ cup Powdered Sugar,sifted
• Garnish: Pinch of Cherry Wood Smoked Salt or similar.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray or grease bundt pan. Sprinkle some flour in the pan, hold it over a sink, and turn and tilt the pan to distribute the flour evenly. Then invert the pan and tap out the excess flour to prevent a buildup of grease and flour on the finished cake.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the Guinness and butter to a light boil, add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk flour,sugar,baking soda and salt.
5. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
6. Add the butter/Guinness mixture to the sour cream mixture and beat until just incorporated.
7. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
8. Then using a rubber spatula, lightly fold the batter to make sure there are no pockets of flour.
9. Pour into bundt pan.
10. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs.
11. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
12. Then cool completely on rack before.
13. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (the cake seems to taste better the next day).
14. Salted Caramel Glaze:
15. In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, dark brown sugar, heavy cream and smoked salt to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.
16. Boil for ONE minute, stirring constantly.
17. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract.
18. Add about ½ cup of the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
19. Continue to whisk in powdered sugar by the tablespoon until you reach your desired consistency.
20. Remove the cake from the fridge, place on a cake plate and pour the salted caramel glaze over the top.
21. Sprinkle the Fleur de Sel over the glaze.