Chocolate Orange Stout Cake

Breckenridge Brewery’s latest release was so perfect in this Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting.

Orange Slices and Grated Chocolate Decorate the top of an Orange Stout Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

It feels like it’s been awhile. So to make up for my mini-computer disaster I went all out and I promise you, this Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting was worth waiting for. I mean it…it’s an ‘Oh My Moment’ for sure!

I’m not sure I can remember too many times when the product of my labors in the kitchen didn’t appear on these pages for an extended period but this week it happened and since this is my business as well as my passion, that’s just bad timing. But then…computer parts don’t respect timing much do they?

I missed last month’s Progressive Eats event, I have been dealing with the perfect storm. I have been limping along with a slow laptop and a problematic desktop so last month I reneged and thought with the extra time that I would focus on taking care of them and I thought I had.

The laptop is an upgrade so that was a given but the desktop seemed to need a new fan and after a long trip to get a new one, a stop at a friend’s to get help taking everything apart I thought I was golden.

Until the little buggar did as it had been for weeks…it just died. Kaput; no warning at all, just from on to off in a heartbeat.

So the past week has been a journey of discovery to find what’s wrong and it’s consumed me and I’m over it. All I want to do now is talk to you about beer and CAKE!

Slice of Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting and an Orange Slice and Grated Chocolate for Garnish

I often get invited to local events; many restaurants hold media events to share a grand re-opening or even just the inaugural opening to let us know about a new menu or sometimes just because. It’s good press for them if we share our experience and fun for me and usually a friend I’m encouraged to invite.

The invitation a couple of weeks ago was to a media event at Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, CO. While the original brewery was actually started in Breckenridge, the major part of the business has moved to the Denver area and it’s like a small campus.

There is a bar and a restaurant in one building and out buildings that are the real guts of the operation.

The focal point of this event was the launch of a new product for the brewery, a seasonal Chocolate Orange Stout. We were given a mini lesson on the making of this product and given a chance to tour the facility.

As for the making part, it’s an interesting tale about Nitrogen Charged beer and how another local purveryor, Cholaca out of Boulder, CO, ended up as one of the ingredients.

What was evident from hearing the owners of both respective companies speak was the level of care that each of them take in the making of their product. My friend Jane is much more of a beer connoisseur than I am so she was the perfect person to invite along and let me just tell you, we had a great time.

This one was fun from start to finish. While we were with a media group, the public had also been invited to the launch at noon…this photo is a before shot of their fantastic bar area soon to literally be filled with patrons; young, old and in between.

Every single one of us was having a blast; the ambiance is warm and inviting, the staff courteous and knowledgeable and overall the experience was just fun. Who doesn’t need more fun, right?

Breckenridge Brewery

Before we had the pleasure of tasting some great appetizers from the chef, we were invited to go on a tour of the facility.

I sent Jane as my agent…I had just wrenched my left knee in a dumb ‘trying to decorate the house’ move and that combined with a bit of snow on the ground and yes, I was a wuss and decided it best if I not risk further injury.

I’ll be going back for my own tour in the near term…I’ll fill you in on all the details; in the meantime I had to to stay behind and sit in front of the fire in one of their newest additions to their campus, the Farm House Restaurant. So unfair. To everyone not with me. 🙂

Breckenridge Brewery

Once everyone returned from the tour, it was time to get down to business; the business of sampling the stout and some truly amazing bites prepared by the chef using the same Chocola product that is an ingredient in the beer.

It was interesting to discover just how fantastic a high end bitter chocolate can make in foods other than sweets. Not that I don’t love my sweets and the bite chef prepared for us was superb. A rich and bitter chocolate cake just slightly sweetened with a dollop of frosting on top.

Breckenridge Brewery Chocolate Orange Stout

I knew immediately that I must also make a cake…the flavor combination was so fantastic in the beer with just enough of the chocolate and orange to lend a hint without making the beer sweet or more chocolate than beer.

It reminded me of putting espresso into chocolate desserts that I make…you’re not exactly sure what is making it taste so good but you just know something is putting it over the top. That’s what chocolate and orange did for the beer and that’s what the beer did for my favorite stout cake.

Chocolate Orange Stout Cake on White Cake Plate with Orange Slices as Garnish

By the way, I’m curious. Another blogger mentioned last week on Facebook that she is not crazy about the ‘naked’ style of cake decorating that I’ve enjoyed doing lately. I love them…and not because they are easy to frost because they are not.

I just love seeing the inside juxtaposed with the frosting and think it looks more interesting and can be tied in to a garnish for a great overall effect. What do you think? Yay or Nay?

Still, either way? Totally rich. Totally decadent. Totally my new favorite cake!

Progressive Eats

My Progressive Eats family with Jane of The Heritage Cook hosting this month had decided we should contribute something for a New Year’s Eve Extravaganza. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out; a virtual Progressive Dinner!

This month’s theme is a New Year’s Eve so we hope you will enjoy these jaw-dropping recipes (listed after the cake recipe), ideal for any special occasion and the perfect way to ring in the New Year!

I signed up for dessert before I even knew what I would be making but I must tell you, this could be…no SHOULD be your dessert. Rich with chocolate and the subtleness of the stout all met with a decadent orange buttercream frosting.

I sliced the cake for a photo but haven’t had any yet except a bite or two and it’s KILLING me…but I hate digging chocolate crumbs out of a keyboard so I’m being good; if you see typos just blame chocolate cake on my hurrying OK?

New Year’s Eve Extravaganza!

Cocktails

Appetizers

Bread

First Course

Main Course

Side Dishes

Desserts

  • Yuzu Cheesecake from Spice Roots
  • Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Frosting from Creative Culinary (You’re Here!)

PIN IT! ‘Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting’

Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting PIN

Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting

Creative Culinary
This Chocolate Cake has and orange stout beer in the cake mix and more orange in the buttercream frosting. It's absolutely amazing!
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Cakes, Cupcakes & Cheesecake
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 1453 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 2 cups Chocolate Orange Stout
  • 2 cups 4 sticks butter
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder preferably Dutch-process
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ⅓ cups yogurt

For the Frosting

  • 1 ½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 6 c powdered sugar
  • a pinch of kosher salt
  • zest of one orange
  • 6 Tbsp orange juice
  • 3 Tbsp Orange Liqueur
  • Milk if needed
  • For the Garnish:
  • Orange Slices See note if you want to make Candied Orange Slices
  • Cocoa
  • Grated Chocolate

Instructions
 

  • To Make the Cake
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter the paper.
  • Bring the 2 cups of Chocolate Orange Stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
  • Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend.
  • Using electric mixer, beat eggs and yogurt in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
  • Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.
  • To Make the Frosting
  • Beat butter until smooth and gradually add powdered sugar.
  • Add salt, zest, orange juice and orange liqueur and beat until combined.
  • If too thick, add milk as need to get desired consistency.
  • Frost as desired and decorate with orange slices, cocoa and grated chocolate (see notes for making candied oranges).

Notes

If you want to make candied oranges:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
One medium orange, sliced thin
In a medium skillet, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Add the orange slices and cook over moderate heat, turning them occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a thin syrup and the orange slices are translucent, about 20 minutes.
Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the syrup is thick and the slices are tender but still intact, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer the orange slices to a rack to cool.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Orange Stout Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting
Serving Size
 
1
Amount per Serving
Calories
1453
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
69
g
106
%
Saturated Fat
 
42
g
263
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
21
g
Cholesterol
 
216
mg
72
%
Sodium
 
923
mg
40
%
Carbohydrates
 
194
g
65
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
149
g
166
%
Protein
 
14
g
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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17 Comments

  1. I’ve made a different stout cake recipe that was fabulous, but I’m betting that yours is even more spectacular. I’m particularly enthralled by the idea of orange stout. The yogurt intrigues me too. Can’t wait until I have an occasion to try this one, and if it’s not a holiday, so be it!

  2. Man, you have had *way* more than your share of problems over the past few months. Yet another reason to kick 2016 to the curb, right?! At least we can do it in style with your cake–I already love chocolate and orange together. Add the maltiness from the stout, and you have pretty much made my perfect cake!

    And while I always think your photographs are gorgeous, I really, really love the second one, of the slice of cake. Just beautiful!

    1. Truth is I sure have and I’m ready for a New Year and to put this past quarter behind me. OY is the word!

      I appreciate that you love the slice photo; it was a bugger. 🙂

  3. I absolutely must make this cake. I’ve had chocolate stout cake on my list to make for years, but this is a completely higher level. It’s truly outstanding, Barb. And a big welcome back. You were missed, my friend. Have a wonderful holiday – you deserve it!!!!

    1. It was really SO good Susan and it makes enough for an army so it’s truly a great celebration cake for a crowd.

  4. I love that restaurant and I think I would have lied about my knee so I could sit by the fire. It’s so hot and humid here right now that a bit of chill in front of a warm fire would be good.

    What a wonderful idea for a cake! Yummo.

    Merry Christmas, Barb and I hope the knee is fighting fit when Santa comes down the chimney.

    1. I know right? Truth is I don’t moan about it all the time but I broke that knee five years ago; it is always a problem so hurting it again? It was a no brainer…gotta protect the good one I have left.

  5. Perfection as always Barb. This is the perfect way to celebrate the end of your computer troubles (hopefully!) and ringing in the New Year! I love our group too and just wish it was IRL instead of virtual, but the team is remarkable. Thanks so much for bringing us all together! <3

    1. Ahem. Computer troubles continue so I finally spent half a day installing everything I need on my laptop and deciding to forget about it until after the holidays. Enough is enough right?!! Have a great holiday Jane!

  6. Wow, what a gorgeous cake! It looks exceptionally good — love stout, so this has my name on it. Sorry to hear about your computer problems — SUCH a pain. We always have at least 3 computers around just as insurance. Although one of them is so old it probably will croak any day now. I’m taking off the rest of the year, so let me wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s!

  7. I’m so glad your computer woes are over! And that the brewery trip inspired you to make this fabulous naked orange cake. It’s just a beauty. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Barb! So glad I got to spend some time with you this year!! xo

    1. I just love them…and they truly can be a pain to get done. Especially when you think you’ve made plenty of frosting, even for three layers and you get down to the end and you’re thinking…just how naked will this end up being Barb? 🙂

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