Stout cake with cream cheese and chocolate caramel

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

2. Step 2

   First, make the stout cake. Melt the butter in the stout over a low heat, then remove from the heat. Transfer to a large bowl and add the cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk until combined

3. Step 3

   Beat together the eggs, vanilla essence and sour cream with an electric mixer in a separate bowl, and then add this to the stout mixture. Sift the flour and bicarb into the bowl, and then fold it in

4. Step 4

   Divide the batter between the 9 holes of the silicone mould, and bake for 13 minutes. Set aside to cool completely

5. Step 5

   To make the caramel, add the stout to a pan with both the sugars and bring to a simmer. Cook the stout until it's reduced by half, and then add the cream, chocolate and salt

6. Step 6

   Keep cooking and reducing the caramel until it has the texture of runny honey

7. Step 7

   To make the topping, mix all the ingredients together and then transfer it to a piping bag

8. Step 8

   To serve, pipe the cream cheese topping over the cakes and drizzle them with the stout caramel