10bacon slices(cooked until crisp and golden brown)
A handful of walnuts(chopped)
Makes: 18cm18 x 18cm round
Instructiuni
Black stout cake:
Preheat your oven to 350F and line 2 round cake pans (18cm diameter) with baking paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Bring the sout to the boiling point in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Mix until melted and smooth and allow to cool down.
Combine the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and oil in a bowl. Stir in the stout mixture.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones and mix quickly just until combined. Don't over mix the batter!
Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pan then level them up and cut them in half lengthwise, thus obtaining 4 discs of sponge cake. Place aside.
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream:
Combine the egg whites, vanilla, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a hot water bath. Keep over steams, whisking all the time, until the mixture is hot and the sugar is melted.
Remove from heat and begin whipping with an electric mixer until glossy and stiff and completely cooled down. it may take up to 7-8 minutes.
When the meringue is stiff, add the softened butter, all at once and continue mixing on low speed. At first it will curdle up, then it will look like a soup and after 2-3 minutes, it will come back together, turning into a silky, smooth, fluffy buttercream.
Add the chocolate, all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
Split the buttercream in 4 equal portions then assemble the cake: one layer of stout sponge, one layer of buttercream, a few bits of crushed bacon, another layer of sponge cake and so on.
Finish the cake with a layer of buttercream, chopped walnuts and crispy bacon.
Serve the cake right away or refrigerate until needed.