Week 36 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously. Malört. And what is it? You guessed it, FAIL!
I had hopes for this week but alas, my search for malört locally was fruitless. Perhaps one of my Chicago friends would be able to comment on their impression of malört. (Boy, spell check really hates that word…) Or perhaps Lula had the chance to try it on her recent trip to Chicago. There’s little chance of finding it outside the region on The Malört Map.
The thing that intrigued me about it is that, like absinthe, it is also a wormwood derived spirit. Malört is actaully the Swedish word for wormwood. Now you know I love my absinthe, so you can imagine my disappointment.
Once again, I was left wondering what to write about this week. I could have just regurgitated our guide’s description and explanation of the spirit, but you are certainly capable of reading all about it yourselves, in the book you have now purchased, right?
So let’s take a slight deviation from the booze path and talk about something else. Cake. But not just any cake… Guinness Chocolate Cake. Oh yessssss……
Guinness is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. Its signature burnt flavor is derived from roasted, unmalted barley and its thick creamy head comes from mixing the beer with nitrogen and carbon dioxide when poured. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect flavor and texture for a decadent dessert? Here’s the recipe:
Cake:
1 ¼ cup Guinness stout
¹⁄³ cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1 ²⁄³ cups flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, shaved or chopped
Glaze:
¾ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
- In a sauce pan, bring Guinness and molasses to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Cream together butter and brown sugar
- Add eggs one at a time until fully blended
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt
- In a mixer, alternate adding flour mixture and Guinness/molasses mixture the creamed sugar and butter, beginning and ending with flour
- Stir in chopped chocolate
- Grease bundt pan then dust with cocoa
- Pour in batter and bake 45-50 minutes
- Cool completely before removing from pan
- To make glaze: bring cream to a boil, then remove from heat
- Add sugar and whisk
- Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute
- Whisk until melted and smooth
- Let cool 5 minutes before glazing cake
Eat while wearing stretchy pants. Or no pants at all, completely up to you. Trust me, this cake is amazing!
Disclaimer: that is not my photo, I’ve never taken a photo of the cake, but I swear that is what it looks like. This photo is from a website called ‘No Empty Chairs’
I’ve never heard of Malort but I’ll look around me for it. The cake sounds amazing! Guinness is hubby ‘s favorite beer…
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This is seriously the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. And hey, if you already have Guinness in the house… 😀 But yes, malort is found only in your neck of the woods, if you get the chance to try it, see what you think!
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You’d think it would be easy to find. And we probably have Guinness in the downstairs fridge!
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Perfect! 😀
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You had me at Guinness!!! 🍻
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There you go! I don’t know if you and J like to bake (or if the boys do) but this is a seriously great chocolate cake!
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I’ll have to try it. We bake, but things rarely turn out as pretty as they look in the pics. But, taste is what’s most vital anyway, right? 😃
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Exactly! 🙂
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And if it has bourbon, rum, or even Guinness in it? I’m in. 😃
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Oh! I have an amazing rum cake recipe too! And bourbon baked beans!
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Bourbon baked beans? That sounds interesting.
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They are a huge hit when I make them for picnics. Bourbon, bacon and brown sugar, baby!
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Ha! Can’t wrong with that! 😃
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Now I need to have cake. I can’t imagine how this would taste with the Guinness… But right now, I just want to make a batch of the glaze, pour it into a bowl, and grab a spoon. Dinner is served.
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The Guinness makes it really rich and moist. You can’t taste a beer floor at all. I know, I’m kind of sorry I wrote about this… now I want cake too. I have Nutella. I will go eat that straight from the jar!
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Haha… I’ve got a bag of chocolate chips… Jar of peanut butter? Oh… Final ingredient: spoon! (Please know I am not really going to eat this.)
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If you put them both in the microwave and let it get all melty… You are too going to eat it!
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Oh, I do that and use it as ice cream topping. Hmm… I do have I’ve cream…. Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me? It’s 9 effing 43 in the morning. That is NOT an appropriate breakfast.
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See that’s what cool about being a grown-up: nobody gets to tell you what to eat for breakfast! (Might be the only cool thing though…)
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Holy fuck! Before I finished reading your comment, I was immediately thinking “yeah, the only one…”
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Great minds…. 😀 We are still 13 in our minds actually…
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Exactly. There are no words to describe how much I want to go back right now at this very moment…
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I hear you! 9th grade would be my return to point. Do over everything from then on!
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Sigh. Yes… have to have the memories of all my fuck-ups, though, because knowing me, I’d fuck it all up again. Clearly, I’m in a fucking great place today since every other word is some form of fuck.
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Yeah, that’s the only way it works- to go back with knowledge in tact. Potty mouth! 👹
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That looks amazing!!!! I’m living vicariously on booze, and now cake through your blog!
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Ha! Thanks, Wendy! All things decadent and bad for you on the doctor’s blog. Something wrong with that picture!
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Well, since I’m in trouble with mine for the time being, I’m happy to look for now. Thanks for “feeding” me!
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Aw! I’m sorry! I’m a bad influence! 😀
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Oh but so fun!
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Yay!
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Never heard of this alcohol. The cake certainly looks delicious.
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Thanks, Drew! Yeah, I’m not sure I’ll get the chance to try it any time soon. I have only been to Chicago once in all my life. The cake recipe is excellent!
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That I am anxious to try.
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😃👍
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That cake looks delicious. 🙂
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It’s a winner!
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It sure looks to be. 🙂
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Going to have to make this, thanks for sharing.
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You’re welcome! I’m sure you’ll like it!
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Oh! My sweet days! That cake looks decadently wonderful 😉
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WOW! This is wayyyy better than malort! I’m adding this to my to-do list
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Yummylicious, always going loco with choco. Love this.
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Hi Joel! Thanks, this recipe is a total winner! 😀
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You’re welcome Meg.
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Young lady, you have Ireland on the mind for sure! The Irish are in trouble when you land😃 You have me craving a dark brew now and chocolate cake😋💦
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Haha! Yes, most definitely… To the trouble and to dark brew and cake! ☘✨☘
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ooh, yum!! I’m not eating sugar at the moment and I neeeeeed this cake!! Need!!
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This was a huge mistake. I’m so craving chocolate cake ever since I posted this… 😂😂😂
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LOL!
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I don’t have any stretchy pants so it is not a pretty sight whilst eating this!
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Hahaha! It’s totally worth it! 😃
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Yum
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