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How to Make A Guinness Cake

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I made my first Guinness Cake 3 years ago for my husband, brother and Father. My brother and I visited our Dad in Detroit, and the cake never quite made it. I ate it all myself. I can be wicked sometimes… but really, some things are just too good to share.

My Irish friend made me my first Irish Guinness cake after my third son was born. I had given birth naturally, and this cake, she said, was the perfect food to help a nursing Mom get her strength back. In Ireland, when you give blood, and after certain surgeries, Guinness is offered, because of its high iron content. Guinness is also bursting with B vitamins, flavonoids (antioxidants) that are better than vitamins C and E keeping bad LDL cholesterol from clogging arteries. A study at the University of Wisconsin Coronary Thrombosis Research and Vascular Biology Laboratory found that Guinness proved to be about twice as effective at preventing the blood platelets from clumping and forming the kind of clot that can cause a heart attack. So, with this news, this makes a Guinness Cake healthier than my non-white flour snickerdoodles.

At 4.2 percent, Guinness is lower in alcohol than most beers, matching Coors Light. Guinness is also lower in carbohydrates and calories than most beers, low-fat milk and orange juice. I drank some of this rich dark stout straight from the tap in Irish pubs, and never once considered this thick beer light, but so it is. So, indulge yourself in this “healthy” recipe for Irish Guinness cake. I’m making one today… I promise to share…. maybe I better double this recipe.

  • 8 oz soft butter
  • 8 oz soft brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 10 oz plain flour
  • 2 level teaspoon mixed spice (think pumpkin pie spices)
  • 8 oz raisins
  • 8 oz golden raisins
  • 8 oz walnuts
  • 1 bottle of Guinness
  1. Pour just enough Guinness over dried fruit to cover. Let soak overnight. (f you’re really thirsty hungry, skip this step, and just move on.)
  2. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the sides and bottom of an 7″ pan.
  3. Preheat over to 325 degrees.
  4. Cream butter and sugar.
  5. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  6. Fold in the flour and mixed spice. (Do this by hand.)
  7. Drain fruit, reserving the beer, and add fruit and walnuts to the mix, folding in throughly.
  8. Stir in 4 tablespoons of Guinness and mix to a soft dropping consistency (you may need to add more Guinness if not soft enough).
  9. Turn into prepared 7 inch tin. Bake 325f for 1 hour and then reduce heat to 300f and cook for another 1.5 hours.
  10. Allow cake to cool in pan.
  11. Remove cake from pan and prick base.
  12. This is my favorite part… Spoon remaining Guinness over the cake every hour or so.
  13. Store the cake for a week before cutting. Yeah… right!

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