Whether for Father’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day, box cake mix hacks make life easier to make and serve up a moist and delicious chocolate Guinness cake.
I love making dishes that seem like they took a lot of work, but were actually easy to whip up. I serve up a lot of desserts for friends and family, but I won’t lie. Baking from scratch every single time can really be exhausting.
Although I bake a lot of desserts from scratch, I do not shy away from using box mixes for easy cakes. Cake box mixes have come a long way and they produce delicious and moist cakes.
I use them a lot when I need a quick dessert or if I am spending a lot of time decorating a cake, like my unicorn cake. This chocolate Guinness cake is not different.
Jump to:
Laura says :
Why this recipe works
- Customize it: By baking this in a bundt pan, you just made baking a Guinness cake even easier. Of course, you can divide the batter and bake it using 2 9-inch cake rounds, 24 cupcakes or one 9×13 pan.
- Easy peasy: You could make a chocolate Guinness cake completely from scratch, but I used Devil’s Food box mix and replaced the water with stout beer.
- Texture: This cake is extra moist and extra fluffy. The dark beer enhances the chocolate flavor without making it super sugary or sweet.
- Flavor: Does it taste like beer? Not at all. Just like the addition of coffee brings out the chocolate flavor in desserts, the same thing happens with stout beer. The bitter musky dark beer enhances the chocolate flavor.
- How to serve: You can serve this cake as is, dust with powdered sugar, add a scoop of ice cream or drizzle with the chocolate glaze.
Ingredients you need
- Chocolate box mix: You can use any variety of chocolate cake mix. I chose Devil’s Food.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I always bake with olive oil. You can also use canola or any other vegetable oil.
- Eggs: Follow the instructions on your box mix. Large eggs are usually the standard in baking.
- Guinness beer: You will substitute the amount of water you use in box mix with beer. Use any type of stout beer.
Step-by-step directions
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
- Start batter. Combine box mix, oil and mix. Partially mix the batter.
- Add beer. Pour the beer in a large glass and let it sit for the foam to subside a little. Pour in the beer and mix the batter until combined. Do not over mix.
- Transfer to pan. Coat a bundt pan thoroughly with non-stick spray. I find this to be the best way to bake a bundt and to prevent it from sticking to the nooks and crannies. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Bake per package directions until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool. Invert pan over a cooling rack and let it sit until the cake naturally releases from the pan. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Make ganache. Heat heavy cream and pour over chocolate chips. Let it sit for a few minutes, then stir until pouring consistency.
- Pour ganache. Make sure you cake is on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet so extra ganache doesn’t end up all over your counter top. Slowly pour ganache over the bundt, letting it drip down the sides. The longer the ganache cools, the thicker it gets.
Recipe tips and FAQs
What you end up with is an incredibly easy and delicious cake fit to be served on St. Patrick’s Day, Father’s Day or any special day you want cake. And if you want a fabulous homemade version, try the best chocolate stout cake recipe here.
If you want more chocolate cake inspiration, you must try my Root Beer Float Cake or my Raisin Black Forest Cake. All of these cakes are dreamy and chocolatey and fabulous!
And a final chocolatey box mix hack you must try: my recipe for easy brookies, which is a brownie and chocolate chip cookie bar baked together!
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: If your cake is glazed, I suggest storing any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If unfrosted, you can keep it covered on the counter for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Wrap in foil, parchment paper or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months.
Absolutely! You can bake the cake the day before serving, just cover it to keep it from drying out. If the cake is glazed, you have to store it in the refrigerator. Just let it sit out for an hour prior to serving for the ganache to soften.
Technically you can use kind of beer to make this homemade chocolate cake, but a dark stout beer will really enhance the chocolatey flavor and special tang.
If you are enjoying my recipes, please sign up for my newsletter and get my free 28-day meal plan! You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Box Cake Mix Hacks: Chocolate Guinness Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 Chocolate box mix
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Eggs
- 1 ¼ cups Guinness beer
Ganache Ingredients
- 4 oz dark chocolate chips
- 4 oz heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine box mix, oil and mix. Amounts will vary depending on the cake mix you use. Partially mix the batter.
- You will substitute the amount of water with beer. Pour beer into a large glass and let it sit for the foam to subside a little. Pour in the beer and mix the batter until combined. Do not over mix.
- Coat a bundt pan thoroughly with non-stick spray. I find this to be the best way to bake a bundt and to prevent it from sticking to the nooks and crannies. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake per package directions until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For my cake it was 350ºF for 40 minutes.
- Invert pan over a cooling rack and let it sit until the cake naturally releases from the pan. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Heat the heavy cream until hot and just about to boil and pour over chocolate chips in a mixing bowl.
- Let the cream sit for a few minutes to soften the chocolate. Mix until the chocolate is all melted and your ganache is smooth.
- As the ganache cools, the thicker it gets. Let it cool until it gets to your desired pouring consistency. You can have a thin glaze or thick.
- Let the cake cool until the glaze is set before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!
Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Can I use round cake pans instead of a bundt to make a layered cake? Thank you!
Hi Shan-
Yes, you can also use round cake pans instead of a bundt. If you use two 8-inch pans, the cake layers will be thicker than using two 9-inch pans. Either should work.
Laura
Does the get better a day after baking?
Hi Marie-
The cake holds up well a day after baking. I can’t say if it is better or not, but I can say it is just as good.
Laura
What a great recipe! Love Guinness. And chocolate. And they do pair well, don’t they? Such an easy cake to put together, too. Winner!