Name: Black velvet cake
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 10-12
Ingredients: 100g unsalted butter cubed, plus extra for the tin; 150ml Guinness; 50g dark chocolate finely chopped; 2 eggs; 175g light muscovado sugar; 50g soured cream; 100g self-raising flour; 2 tbsp cocoa powder plus extra for dusting; 50g unsalted butter; 50g golden caster sugar; 1 egg; 50g self-raising flour; 2 tbsp prosecco or other sparkling wine; 100g unsalted butter; 200g icing sugar; 2 tbsp prosecco or other sparkling wine; 100g soft cheese

A dark marbled loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting, with one slice cut out of the end

100g unsalted butter
cubed, plus extra for the tin
150ml Guinness
50g dark chocolate
finely chopped
2 eggs
175g light muscovado sugar
50g soured cream
100g self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
plus extra for dusting

MARBLE LAYER

50g unsalted butter
50g golden caster sugar
1 egg
50g self-raising flour
2 tbsp prosecco or other sparkling wine

FROSTING

100g unsalted butter
200g icing sugar
2 tbsp prosecco or other sparkling wine
100g soft cheese

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with a strip of baking paper overhanging either end.
step 2
Warm the butter, Guinness and chocolate in a small pan over a low heat until melted and smooth, then cool for 5 minutes.
step 3
Meanwhile, make the marble layer. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale. Beat in the egg, then the flour, followed by the wine.
step 4
Whisk the eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sugar and soured cream. Sift over the flour and cocoa and mix until just combined. Pour the Guinness batter into the tin and smooth over the top. Add the marble batter to the tin in dollops over the top (it will sink into the darker batter). Use a chopstick to slightly swirl the batters together, making swirls like a settling pint of stout.
step 5
Bake for 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then use the overhanging paper to lift the cake from the tin onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
step 6
For the frosting, beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the wine until incorporated, then add the soft cheese and mix until just combined – don’t over-mix, or the frosting will become runny.
step 7
Spoon the frosting over the cake, smoothing over the sides of the cake with a palette knife so you get defined, straight lines like the head of a black velvet cocktail. Dust with a little cocoa and chill until ready to serve.