The Secret Ingredient Your Chocolate Cake Needs

Beer is an acquired taste for many people. You either appreciate a certain type of brew or you don't. Personally, this writer has always found stouts a little too strong in flavor. It makes sense to assume that darker ales will yield an equally smoky aftertaste when used as a cooking ingredient, as many braised meat recipes have led us to believe. And, that unique flavor may be just be what your dessert needs, too — even if you're not a fan of the drink. According to Justin O'Connor, head chef at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, adding a bit of the Irish brew to a chocolate lava cake makes it all the more indulgent. To honor St. Patrick's Day, we're sharing this super-rich, booze-infused fondant recipe. Who says a bar crawl is the only way to celebrate the Irish holiday?

Chocolate Fondant
Serves 3-4 Prep Time
30 minutes (plus 1 night for freezing) Ingredients
1 lb 4 oz dark chocolate chips
18 tbsp butter
3 tsp coffee powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
5 oz Guinness
12 egg yolks
12 egg whites
8 oz caster sugar

Instructions
1. Melt dark chocolate chips and
butter together. In a separate bowl, add coffee powder,
cocoa powder, and Guinness together and mix. 

2. Cream the egg yolks until smooth. In another mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and caster sugar until the mixture has a meringue-like texture.

3. Add the egg yolks
to the coffee powder, cocoa powder, and Guinness mixture. Add this mixture into the melted chocolate
and butter.  

4. Combine batter with the
meringue mixture. Place 1/3 of the mix into a 9-by-13 inch baking pan, and bake at 350°F until cake reaches a sponge-like consistency, about 10 to 15 minutes.  

5. Once this portion of the cake is cooked and cooled, cut into circles using a flan ring. Stack the circles on a separate pan and pipe the rest of the chocolate mix on the top of the cutouts. Set into the freezer overnight or until frozen. 6. Bake frozen at 360°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve.