I have been working really hard lately to redesign the blog. I have tried to make it a little more user friendly and a little more fun! I hope you like the new layout, I also now have a Facebook page for SBC, as well as a Twitter account I don’t know how to use! There are cool little buttons that link you to all of those things and more right over there —–>> Hope you like the new look of SBC!

Now, I’m not Irish, but I’ll take any excuse I can find to make a dessert. This weeks excuse being: St. Patrick’s Day! I started out determined to make a Guinness chocolate cake with Baileys cream cheese icing. It’s pretty much the same as these cupcakes, without the ganache and with a cream cheese icing instead of butter cream. I had decided I wanted to make a cake though, since I usually make cupcakes I wanted to shake things up. Well, as you can tell by the absence of a cake, it didn’t turn out so pretty. I was kind of rushing to get it done and well, we will just leave it at that. I was a little disappointed until I thought, duh!, cake truffles. Cake truffles (aka cake balls, cake pops, cake bites) are an amazing bite sized dessert, and especially great when you wind up with an ugly cake; Just throw that ugly cake in a bowl, smash it up icing and all, dip it in chocolate and viola! They are also great for leftover cupcakes (if anyone has that problem, we don’t), since cupcakes don’t stay fresh long this is a great alternative. Oh, and if you are worried about the beer in this recipe, don’t be! I HATE beer, but it makes an amazingly delicious cake! Happy St. Patty’s guys, have a safe one!

Irish Cake Truffles (Guinness & Baileys)   (Print Me)

Ingredients:
Cake:
1½ cups stout or dark beer (such as Guinness)
1½ cups unsalted butter
1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp espresso (optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Frosting: (if you make this as a cake instead of truffles, double this)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, temperature
4 Tbsp Irish Cream (such as Baileys)
3 cups powdered sugar
3 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside. Put the beer and butter in a large, heavy saucepan, over medium heat until the butter melts (don’t let the mixture get too hot, if it begins to bubble let it cool slightly before continuing or you will seize your chocolate). Remove the pan from the heat, and slowly whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt then set aside.

In another large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sour cream. Slowly add the stout-cocoa mixture, until combine. At a slow speed add the flour mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix again for 1 minute.

Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans and returning to the rack to finish cooling completely.

While the cake cools make the frosting. Start by mixer together the cream cheese, butter, and Baileys Irish Cream on medium speed until completely smooth and combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar on medium-low speed until the desired conservancy is reached. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is smooth and thoroughly mixed.

Once the cake is completely cooled crumble it into a large mixing bowl. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Start adding a couple of cups of icing to the crumbled cake, mixing with a spatula or your hands until the desired consistency is reached (it should be the consistency of a thick dough). Roll the mixture into balls place on lined sheet. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to cool (not freeze), or refrigerate overnight to dip in chocolate the next day.

Temper your chocolate , working with one cake ball at a time using either a spoon or a dipping fork, dip or cover each ball with chocolate and place back on lined cookie sheet. Once complete, refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened before serving.

Cake & Icing from: Brown Eyed Baker