Drum roll please. March’s most popular recipe was…Chocolate Guinness Cake! Maybe you made it for St. Patrick’s Day, or perhaps you just love chocolate cake (same). This one is ultra tender and already has a devoted following. As one reader instructs, “Drop everything you’re doing and make this asap.” I sat down with senior Test Kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk, the recipe’s creator, to talk all things cake—and play a baking edition of FMK.
Nina Moskowitz: Another month that BA Bake Club reigned supreme. Why do you think that is?
Jesse Szewczyk: Because our audience has great taste. And who doesn’t love a good chocolate cake?
NM: Why did you develop this recipe?
JS: We thought Chocolate Guinness Cake makes sense for March because of St. Patrick’s Day. Sometimes for Bake Club, we identify beloved classics we don’t already have on site, and find ways to put our own spin on them.
NM: What’s the spin here?
JS: The cake utilizes a technique called reverse creaming to make the crumb exceptionally tender. Usually it’s done with a stand mixer, but in this recipe, you use your hands—kind of like you would making pie crust. I wanted it to be a laid-back affair.
NM: How many tests did this recipe take you?
JS: The cake came to me quickly, but the frosting proved to be a challenge. That took me at least 10 tries. My colleagues wanted the frosting to be tan, resembling a pint, so I ended up using brown butter and a splash of Guinness for good measure.
NM: Do you cook or bake with Guinness a lot?
JS: Not Guinness specifically, but I bake with alcohol a lot. It’s a note I call upon often.
NM: When was the last time you successfully split the G?
JS: Not recently, Nina. I’m 34 years old.
NM: Fuck Mary Kill these cake mixing methods: blender, reverse cream, cream.
JS: I prefer to keep my relationship to cakes open.
