Lest you are tempted to disregard this recipe, for fear that it is actually fruit cake in disguise… let me reassure you that the Guinness Cake, takes the lowly raisin to a whole new level.
The raisin get an overnight soak in the Guinness. The Guinness adds a level of richness, without the sweetness that you typically find in Rum, as in a Rum cake. So, the Guinness Cake has, for lack of a better word, a base note, which makes it feel more substantial, more like something hearty, and safe to take another bite of this wonderful cake.
They do offer this cake to new mums in Ireland, after the arduous physical labor of giving birth.
Guinness Cake
What’s even more fun, is that you don’t even have to take out one measuring utensil to make this cake. Just measure on your scale, which is the only way they bake in Europe, as my Irish friend who shared this recipe explains.
Why do we use measuring cups and spoons instead of scales? It’s far more accurate to weigh, than it is to level off — and it makes so much more mess with powders flying everywhere and dirty cups and spoons.
But it is that time of year… and trust me, if you need a gift to share with neighbors, or a host, try this one… if it makes it out of your house, that’s a Christmas miracle…
Here’s the recipe.