It's summer. It's hot. You deserve a sweet treat. So how about a dive into the fathomless richness of Nigella Lawson's to-die-for Guinness Chocolate Cake?

Hailed by the legendary chef and baker as “magnificent in its damp blackness,” this recipe is as easy to follow as it is to bake (truly, you won't believe the effort-to-reward ratio that we are talking about here).

Any time is a great time for a Guinness, but there are few ways to enjoy one more. This recipe and method is culled from the nigella.com website.

Ingredients for cake

  • 1 cup Guinness
  • 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 cups superfine sugar
  • ⅔ cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2½ teaspoons baking soda

Ingredients for topping

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ½ cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/160°C Fan/350ºF, and butter and line a 23cm / 9 inch springform tin.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter — in spoons or slices — and heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarbonate soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch and then beat to combine.

If using heavy cream, add it and beat until you have a spreadable consistency. If using whipping cream, whisk first to soft peaks, add a couple of spoonfuls into the cream cheese mixture and once this is combined, fold in the rest.

Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Related: Guinness, Recipes