Irish Porter Cake
A rich and moist Irish Porter Cake is all you need to please your sweet tooth on St. Patrick’s Day! Made with dried fruit, hearty spices and porter beer, this cake is traditionally served during the holidays but easy enough to be enjoyed as an afternoon snack whenever you feel like it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- Zest of one orange
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 bottle, 12 fl oz porter ale (or stout)
- 3 cups mixed dried fruit
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, orange and lemon zest and beer in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, over medium-high heat, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the dried fruit. Cook for 3 minutes. Then, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or grease with butter.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices into a large bowl. Pour the fruit liquid mixture and mix to combine. Gradually add the eggs, mixing until incorporated.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cake is golden brown.
- Optional: pour 1/4 cup of stout over the cake while the cake is still warm. It will absorb it and become even moister!
- Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes in the pan before unmolding and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.
- Make ahead: The cake tastes better (and more intense) if you wait 2-3 days to unmold and cut into it. If you plan on doing that, don't skip drizzling the warm cake with extra beer to keep it moist.
- Feeding the cake: If you plan on waiting several weeks before cutting into your cake, make sure to feed it by drizzling ale (or whiskey) weekly on both sides. Keep the cake in an airtight tin until ready to serve.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for several weeks. You can also freeze it, tightly wrapped with foil or in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months.