Recipe

A Decadent Chocolate Cake Spiked with Guinness and Baileys

Name: Guinness Chocolate Cake
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups sugar; ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 tsp. baking soda; ¼ tsp. salt; 2 eggs; ½ cup buttermilk; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; ¼ cup Baileys Irish Cream; 1 cup water; 4 oz. butter (1 stick); ½ cup vegetable oil; ⅓ cup cocoa powder; 1 cup Guinness; 3 oz. butter (¾ stick); ½ cup cocoa; ½ cup dark brown sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 2 cups powdered sugar

An Irish finish in every bite, courtesy of the Garden & Gun Club

March 17, 2026

Photo: Garden & Gun Club

It’s tradition to make some pour decisions every March 17, but if you prefer your St. Patrick’s Day treats less stout and more sweet, Ann Kim, the executive chef at the Garden & Gun Club in Atlanta, has just the dessert for you. Kim reduces Dublin’s famous brew by half, then folds in butter and cocoa powder to produce a luscious glaze. Frost while the cake—a chocolatey blend featuring Baileys Irish Cream—is still hot.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

For the cake

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 cup water
- 4 oz. butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder

For the chocolate Guinness glaze

- 1 cup Guinness
- 3 oz. butter (¾ stick)
- ½ cup cocoa
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Reduce the Guinness: Bring Guinness to a boil in an open saucepan and simmer until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. It should make about ½ cup.
Meanwhile, make the cake: Heat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Heat water, butter, vegetable oil, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Watch the cocoa, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat once it comes to a low boil. Pour liquid over the flour mixture and mix well. Then add the egg mix to batter and mix well.
Spread batter in a buttered and floured 9-by-13-inch baking dish and place in oven. Check it in 15 minutes and rotate. Total baking time should be about 25 minutes.
Make and apply the glaze: While the cake is baking, in a saucepan, heat the Guinness reduction, butter, cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla and bring to a low boil. Add powdered sugar and keep mixing over heat until there are no lumps. (You might want to reduce heat to low so you don’t scorch the chocolate.)
Apply glaze after the cake has been out of the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, using a large spoon so glaze is evenly spread out. You want the cake still hot while you’re frosting it.
Serve and enjoy: You can eat it with whipped cream, ice cream, or just on its own. It’s tasty both warm and cold out of the fridge.