Yesterday was my friend Emily’s birthday.  Earlier in the week, she had asked if I would mind baking her cake.  Of course I didn’t mind!  Baking is great on its own, and I thoroughly enjoy that.  However, baking for a friend is exponentially better.

Sean harassed Lola while we were there, too.  Can’t you tell that she’s thrilled?

I’d like to thank Evil Shenanigans for this recipe.


You’ll need:


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup stout beer (I used Guinness), room temperature
4 eggs
1 tbs orange zest
1/3 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed, please!)
1 tsp vanilla


1 1/2 sticks butter
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/3 cup milk


This can be made into a sheet cake (what I did) or into a round layer cake using two 8 inch cake pans.  If you’re interested in going the layer cake route and need some guidance, please see the original post.


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.


In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

In another bowl, combine the melted butter, beer, eggs, orange zest, juice, and vanilla.


Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until well combined and no large lumps remain.  Be careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter into the pre-greased pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean once inserted into the center.

Let the cake cook completely.


While the cake cools, start on the frosting.  In a small pan over medium heat, melt the 1.5 sticks of butter until it is nut brown.  Make sure to keep stirring the butter almost constantly. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature.


Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until combined.  It’s probably going to look pretty clumped up at this point.  Add in the milk, little by little, until you’ve reached the desired consistency.  Once the cake has cooled you can go ahead and frost it.