Irish Car-Bomb... a cake to kill for.

Yes. I made an Irish Car-Bomb Cake. For those of you who know me, please do not pass out. (For those of you who don't, I'm not exactly the Irish Car-Bomb taking type)

It was created for the birthday of a friend who does enjoy Irish Car-Bombs.

As you can see, even those that don't like the drink had no problem with the cake.

The recipes I used are posted below. The cake is probably the best chocolate cake I've ever had. The frosting was good enough to eat by itself - literally...ask my roommates.

Cake: (originally from Bon Appétit )

• 2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Frosting:

• two sticks butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 lbs. confectioner's sugar
• 4 T. Bailey's Irish Cream (I just bought a mini bottle at the liquor store)
• 1 t. vanilla
• milk, if needed, to thin frosting.

Whisk first 4 ingredients together in mixer. Add milk as needed to reach desired consistency. I found it easier to frost the cake immediately after mixing because the frosting was as light and fluffy as it was going to be.