# The ultimate chocolate cake.,,,, again,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,



## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

Make exactly as recipe..................qahtan

Here you go, this is Gary Rhodes recipe, it is every thing you are asking for, fabulous flavour, easy to make, cuts into 12 generous slices and I have also divided the slices with food plastic and frozen it so I can remove just the amount I want. 
I make it with the extra 8 ozs grated chocolate , German dark chocolate.. )) 

If you like chocolate cake then this is the one for you. 

RICH STOUT CAKE 

This is a chocolate cake with a difference. It's a basic chocolate cake recipe with the addition of rich stout which makes a very deep, rich cake, not only with the flavour of stout but also the colour to go with it. Guinness works very well in this recipe. The combination of the soft brown sugar and stout gives you fuller texture and taste. Also 100-225g (4-8 oz) of plain chocolate can be grated into the mix to give an even stronger taste. It's very good to eat as a cake, or for real chocoholics, you could warm a slice in the microwave and serve it with a Rich Chocolate Sauce 

225g (8 oz) unsalted butter 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
350g (12 oz) soft brown sugar 
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 
4 eggs, beaten 
400 ml (14 fl oz) stout (Guinness) 
225g (8 oz) plain flour 
100g (4 oz) cocoa 

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350 F /gas 4. Butter a 20-25 cm (8-10 in) deep cake tin. Cream together the butter with the soft brown sugar. 

Gradually add the beaten eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix the stout with the cocoa powder. Now add the flour and stout mixes alternately to the butter and eggs until completely and evenly bound. You will find the consistency to be quite soft. 

Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until set. You may need to cover with a piece of brown paper after an hour to prevent it browning too much. Allow to cool before removing from the tin. The stout cake is now ready -cheers! 

Variations 

Pouring a glass of stout always leaves you with a lovely finish on the top. You can do exactly the same with this cake. Melt 100 to 175g ( 4-6 oz) of grated white chocolate with 100-175 g (4-6 oz) of butter and 1-2 measures of Irish whiskey until just softened, then leave to cool. You now have a rich white chocolate icing to spread on top of the cake. 

To make a glass of Stout Cake Pudding, simply blitz some of the cake to a crumb stage and spoon into 300 ml (1/2 pint) glasses, leaving 1-2 cm (1/2 û 3/4 in) clear at the top. Soak the sponge crumbs in a flavoured syrup or perhaps add freshly grated chocolate or even fruits or raisins. Finish the dish with Irish Whiskey Sabayon and pour on top. This, as you can imagine, looks just like a real half pint of thick creamy stout and tastes just as good! 

Here's the sabayon to go with the cake variants. Enjoy it. 

Sabayon 

Sabayons go particularly well with ice-creams or can be spooned over tarts or flans and then made into a golden brown glaze under the grill. This recipe is different from the original. You can add almost any flavours and tastes to suit the dessert of your choice. 

4 egg yolks 
6 tablespoons Marsala, 
50 g (2 oz) caster sugar 

All these flavours can be made using the same method, whisking together the yolks with the sugar and the flavour of your choice over a pan of simmering water, which will at least double the volume. 

MAKES 900 ml (1-1/2 pints) 

Note: The sabayon can also be made in an electric mixer. To help it along, simply warm the bowl first. 

Variations 

There are many other flavours that can be added to a sabayon. To this quantity, the grated zest of 1-2 lemons, oranges or limes can be added, replacing half the Champagne or white wine with the juice of the fruit. This will give you a very strong citrus fruit sabayon that will eat well with a steamed sponge or maybe ice-cream of the same flavour. Of course, all of the flavours can be mixed. A good home-made or bought raspberry ice-cream or sorbet with a lemon sabayon is delicious. Or perhaps chocolate ice-cream or steamed sponge with orange sabayon or a good white chocolate ice-cream with lime sabayon. 

To add even more taste to these, three-quarters of the liquid, wine or flavouring can be replaced with lemon curd or good orange marmalade to make it even more flavoursome. 

Reducing the sugar content to 25 g (1 oz) and adding 3-4 tablespoons of golden syrup with 1-2 tablespoons of water gives you an amazing golden syrup sabayon. Eating that spooned over a golden syrup steamed sponge instead or as well as custard is wonderful. 



YIELD: MAKES 1 x 20-25 cm (8-10 in) cake


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

Qahtan, I LOVE Gary Rhodes. I've got every one of his books. He is not flavour of the month anymore on TV here, a great pity. His early series 'Rhodes Around Britain' were well worth watching


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

Have you tried his Welsh Rarebit recipe. yummy. qahtan


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

No, I haven't. I use my family recipe. I had 'buck' rarebit for a late supper last night, made with my favourite Isle of Mull cheddar. Probably should have thought of something else!:lol:


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

We don't have Isle of Mull cheddar here in Ontario,;-((((, but I do use 5 year
old Ontario Canadian cheddar,,,,, which I expect runs at par with your Ilse of Mull cheddar, ;-)))) qahtan 

Gary Rhodes
Welsh rarebit

1 1/2 lb good flavour cheddar, grated
5 oz Milk (UK)
1 oz flour
2 oz white bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 shakes Worcester sauce
2 eggs
2 yolks
salt and pepper

Put cheese and milk in pan, on low, do not boil. When bubbles add flour
bread crumbs, mustard and Worcester, stir to a ball.
Cool, can add eggs at this time.
Or when ready to serve place in food processor and add enough egg and pulse to make spreading texture on toast, smoked haddock or……… and grill to finish cooking the rarebit also the fish or………


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

Very similar to my family recipe, apart from the bread crumbs - I don't use them.

I also make my rarebit in a double boiler, rather than straight into a saucepan.

Adding poached eggs to the top of the cheesy spread on toast makes it a 'buck'!


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## stir it up (Oct 15, 2007)

MILK instead of BEER in the Rarebit?! BLASPHEMY!! 

Now beer instead of milk in that chocolate cake, that warrants a try. :beer:

Thanks qahtan, I'll try the chocolate cake some time.


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

Will have to try that next time I do Welsh Rabbit.. )) qahtan


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

It depends on whether I'm making it for children or adults as to whether I use milk or stout. Guinness is good in rarebits.


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