MILK STOUT AND CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE, CARAMEL CHOCOLATE AND DARK CHOCOLATE ICING

Ingredients

• 65 ml fresh cream

• 310 g cake flour, plus extra for dusting

• 75 g brown sugar

• 62.5 ml milk

• 2 Tbsp icing sugar, plus extra to dust

• 250 g soft butter

• 100 g good-quality milk chocolate

• 100 g good-quality caramel chocolate

• 3 Tbsp soft butter

• 200 g white sugar

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 50 g cocoa powder, for dusting

• 1 x 400 ml can milk stout ( or 1 x 330ml bottle non-alcoholic beer)

• 4 free-range egg, beaten

• 225 g butter, at room temperature

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease 2x20cm x3 cm round cake tins with non-stick spray, then line the bases with baking paper. We made a 5-layer cake. To do so, double the recipe for the batter and icing and use 5 cake tins. Do not double the recipes for the butterscotch sauce and caramel chocolate shards.

2. Using a hand-mixer or wooden spoon, cream 225g butter and 350g sugar until pale and fluffy. Add 4 eggs one at a time, while whisking, until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the milk stout or beer and 100g cocoa. If using non-alcoholic beer, add 4½Tbsp milk.

4. Sift the 225g flour, 1/2tsp baking powder and 2tsp bicarbonate of soda together, then add, alternating with the egg mixture, to the milk stout-and-cocoa mixture.

5. Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

6. Allow the cakes to cool slightly before turning them out and cooling further on a wire rack.

7. To make the butterscotch sauce, place 200g sugar into a pan over a medium heat and allow to melt. When it is slightly caramelised, add 100g butter and mix until melted. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat and add 1/4 cup cream. Mix until smooth.

8. To make the caramel chocolate shards, melt 100g caramel chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Pour the melted chocolate onto a non-stick baking mat or silicone paper, smooth out, then roll up the baking mat or paper and tie with string so it doesn’t unroll. Chill for 15 minutes, then unroll the mat or paper, breaking off large shards of chocolate.

9. To make the dark chocolate icing, place 250g butter into a mixing bowl and cream lightly with a hand-mixer or wooden spoon. Add 1kg icing sugar, a little at a time, and mix. Add 1/4 cup milk and mix. Add 100g dark chocolate and mix until even in colour and smooth.

10. To assemble the cake, spread some dark chocolate icing over one cake, then top with the other and spread with more icing. Pour over the butterscotch sauce and top with the caramel chocolate shards.

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