Moist homemade Guinness chocolate loaf cake topped off with silky caramel cream cheese frosting. A fun addition to St. Patrick’s day celebrations or any day of the year! Enjoy for breakfast or dessert!

My absolute favorite way to celebrate St. Patrick’s day isn’t drinking a green shake or smoothie, or even indulging in mint treats. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fun and festive green treat but it’s not my go-to holiday item. It is, and will likely always be, baking with Guinness. It’s the only time of year you’ll catch me eagerly popping the top off of a bottle of beer. Sure, I bake bread or whip up a batch of chili or stew with beer other times of the year, but not necessarily with Guinness. That’s a once a year thing for me… reserved for March.

Pair chocolate with Guinness and it’s a heavenly dessert. The flavors go together beautifully – perfectly rich and luscious. If you’ve never tried it, you absolutely must. It’s 100% worth it. And if you have baked with Guinness before, then you know! You don’t have to be a beer drinker to enjoy baking or cooking with it.

I adore a good chocolate Guinness treat. Over the years, I’ve shared a variety of Guinness cake and cupcakes. Given that I’ve been on a serious quick bread kick lately, it only made sense to make a loaf cake version of my favorite seasonal treat!

Perfectly moist homemade Guinness chocolate loaf cake, topped off with silky caramel cream cheese frosting! I’m on team – loaf cakes are for breakfast or dessert. It’s kind of like ‘(eat) dessert first’. Why save it for last? Enjoy it now, not later! I love that when you call something a loaf, you can enjoy it for breakfast. Switch it up and call it cake and it’s suddenly dessert. With or without frosting for both occasions! But trust me, the caramel cream cheese frosting is a winner!

A flavor match made in heaven – chocolate, Guinness, caramel and cream cheese frosting! Truly irresistible!

This will easily become a new family favorite. I highly recommend making several loaves of this, as it’s guaranteed to disappear fast! You will 100% be going back for seconds.

This Guinness chocolate loaf cake is a perfect addition to St. Patrick’s day celebrations or as a fun treat for any day of the year! Just be sure to add it to your baking plans asap! You won’t regret it!

Tips tricks and questions answered…

Can I skip the frosting or make a glaze instead?
Absolutely! You can skip the frosting entirely, use a different frosting or make a glaze. Below are some alternative frosting or glaze options to consider:

*Please note that frosting recipes from desserts other than loaf cakes may need to be decreased in quantity or plan to have leftover.

Can I make this into a cake instead?
This recipe was written specifically for a loaf pan and has not been tested in other size pans. I have recipes that have been written for other pan sizes if you’re looking for a larger cake or cupcakes. Please check those out:

I don’t like cream cheese frosting. What else can I make?
If you’re not a fan, check the links above for other suggestions or omit the frosting entirely.

Can I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown?
If that’s what you have available then absolutely give it a shot. It will give a bolder flavor, but should work just fine as a 1:1 swap.

Can I make substitutions to the ingredients?
Yes and no. Baking is a science. This recipe works with the exact measurements listed. Altering one or several of those can cause the recipe to fail. If you’re familiar with baking substitutions, go for it! Outside of any alterations I’ve already mentioned, for specific substitution questions, ask in the comments below.

How many will this serve?
This will vary greatly depending on the thickness of your slices. Realistically, this recipe will serve easily 8-12. If you want to stretch it even further, you can cut each slice in half, serving up to 16-24.

Can I freeze this loaf?
Absolutely! Cool completely and wrap well before freezing. Frost the loaf cake after it has thawed completely.

How should this be stored?
Store at room temperature for up to several days in an airtight container. It may also be stored in the refrigerator and eaten chilled or brought to room temperature prior to serving.

What size pan should I use?
A 1lb loaf pan or roughly 9×5.

Why do I have to let this sit overnight?
You can absolutely enjoy earlier, but my personal preference is to let most quick loaves rest overnight in an airtight container prior to frosting or glazing and slicing. Letting it sit overnight allows the moisture from the inside to softened the exterior again, in addition to cooling completely before frosting. No one likes drippy or melted cream cheese frosting! Plan ahead and make this the day before you want to enjoy it.

Can I make this into cupcakes or cake?
If you prefer cupcakes or a larger cake, check out the links listed above, as those were written specifically for those size pans. Swap around frostings between the different cake varieties if you like one more over another.

I don’t like Guinness. Can I skip it?
Guinness in baked goods doesn’t taste like beer when drinking. It adds a nice flavor without being over powerful. If you can’t drink Guinness for a dietary reason, make my recipe for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting. An equally fun and tasty treat, perfect for chocolate lovers!

Can I skip the parchment paper?
For ease of removing the cake from the pan, do not skip the parchment paper step. I also like to keep the parchment paper in place when it cools overnight.

Moist homemade Guinness chocolate loaf cake with silky caramel cream cheese frosting recipe from @bakedbyrachel A fun addition to St. Patrick's day celebrations or any day of the year! Enjoy for breakfast or dessert!
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Guinness Chocolate Loaf Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 10
Moist homemade Guinness chocolate loaf cake topped off with silky caramel cream cheese frosting. A fun addition to St. Patrick's day celebrations or any day of the year! Enjoy for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients
 

Cake:

  • 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 1/2 C light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 C all purpose flour
  • 1/3 C Guinness beer
  • 1/3 C sour cream

Frosting:

  • 3 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Caramel sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 1lb loaf pan (9x5-inches) with baking spray (*see notes). Line prepared pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the longer two sides. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars for several minutes. Mix in one egg at a time, followed by vanilla, salt and baking soda. Scrape bowl as needed. Mix in cocoa powder. Add half of the flour, followed by the Guinness, mixing until just barely combined. Add remaining flour, followed by sour cream. Mix until just combined and no streaks remain. Do not overmix.
  • Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Use a small offset spatula to level off the top.
  • Bake at 325°F for 55-65 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool in pan for 15-30 minutes Using the parchment overhang, carefully pull up and outwards to remove the loaf from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer cooled loaf, with parchment paper, to a large gallon-sized bag or size appropriate airtight container. Store overnight before frosting. *See notes and tips above.
  • Prepare frosting. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in butter until combined. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar at a time, increasing beater speed as needed. Mix in 2 Tbsp room temperature caramel sauce. Mix until fully combined and frosting is smooth.
  • Remove loaf from storage bag or container, frost with prepared cream cheese frosting. If desired, drizzle lightly with extra caramel sauce and swirl to just barely combine. Slice and store in an airtight container for up to several days.

Notes

Recipe yields 1: 9x5-inch loaf cake, serving 8-12.
*Use spray meant for baking. This will include flour. Do not use cooking spray or olive oil.
An original recipe from Baked by Rachel

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 234mg, Potassium: 139mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 573IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most accurate data, use your preferred nutrition calculator with the actual ingredients you used to make this recipe.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Snap a picture and tag @bakedbyrachel on Instagram!
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keywords: Chocolate, Guinness

More St. Patrick’s day recipes to try:

Moist homemade Guinness chocolate loaf cake with silky caramel cream cheese frosting recipe from @bakedbyrachel A fun addition to St. Patrick's day celebrations or any day of the year! Enjoy for breakfast or dessert!

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