Frosting for Chocolate Guinness Cake

Asked by Sandra Piper. Answered on 27th December 2014

Full question

Hello, I have a friend who doesn't like cheese, can you suggest an alternative frosting for the Chocolate Guinness Cake?

Do you have any suggestions as to an alternative icing for the Guinness Cake? I want to make it for my son's birthday but he doesn't like cheese, even tho' you can't taste it he knows it's in there! Many thanks. Nosila51.

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake (from Feast and on the Nigella website) has a frosting made from cream cheese, sugar and cream as it looks a little like the frothy head on a pint of Guinness. It is also not quite as rich as a traditional buttercream. A regular vanilla buttercream would also be suitable for the cake.

You could also try using mascarpone instead of the cream cheese. This is a cheese but tastes like double cream and not at all cheesy. It can be quite easy to over-beat mascarpone so we suggest beating the mascarpone, cream and sugar together until just combined. You should also refrigerate the cake with this frosting.