Chocolate Stout Cake

​For the Cake:
3 cups of All Purpose flour
2 ¾ cups of sugar
1 ½ cups of dark cocoa (Dutch processed is best)
¾ tbsp baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 ½ cups Chocolate Stout Beer – (Young’s Double Chocolate Stout works well)
3 sticks of butter,  cut in to tiny pieces
1 cups sour cream
3 large eggs
For the spread:
Seedless raspberry preserves and fresh raspberries
1 cup of preserves,  gently fold in the halved raspberries
For the Icing:
Whipped chocolate ganache
12 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger )
1 cup heavy cream
 
Directions:
Cook the Stout and butter in a sauce pan.  Bring to a slow simmer.  Stir occasionally.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until well combined and smooth.  Take pan off the burner and set aside to cool.  Stir every few minutes while cooling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, position rack in the center of the oven.  Coat the cake pans with cooking spray or with softened butter.  Place parchment at the bottom of the cake pan and coat with spray or butter.  Dust the pans with flour and shake off the excess (this will help the cake release from the pan).
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda in to a bowl, add sugar and whisk until combined. 
In another bowl, combine sour cream and eggs.
Once the stout mixture has cooled, add it to the egg mixture in thirds and whisk as you go. Once incorporated, add dry ingredients in thirds as well and fold it in with a rubber spatula (I use the paddle in my Kitchen Aid on slow speed and gradually add the flour).  Mix until it looks smooth (do not over mix). 
Split the batter in 2 cake pans and bake until the tooth pick comes clean, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Let cake pans cook for 15 to 20 min.  Unmold and allow them to completely cool on a wire rack.
Make the Icing while the cake is in the oven. 
Chop up the chocolate in to small pieces, and put them in a large bowl.  Heat heave cream on medium heat until it comes to a slow boil.  Remove from heat and pour on the chocolate.  Stir until all melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.  Cool the ganache in the fridge or freezer to thicken.  Using a whisk, whip the mixture so it looks like frosting.  
To assemble –
Please the first round on the serving plate, place pieces of parchment under the edge so you can pull that out after frosting.  Top with raspberry spread, place the 2nd piece on top and frost away.  Top with fresh berries. 
I served mine with the Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout.  I love the smooth flavor of this stout
If you prefer wine, a nice fruity cabernet would work well with it too.
 
Note:
If you prefer Frosting, a good chocolate butter cream would go well with this cake.