Ingredients

• 200ml/7fl oz dark ale
• plus 4 tbsp for the icing
• 50g/1¾oz cocoa powder
• 110g/4oz butter
• softened
• 275g/9¾oz soft dark brown sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 175g/6oz plain flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 220g/8oz good-quality dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• 220g/8oz icing sugar
• 100g/3½oz soft butter
• 250ml/9fl oz double cream
• 50g/1¾oz muscovado sugar
• 50g/1¾oz malt extract
• pinch salt

Directions

• For the chocolate and ale cake
• grease and flour a 25cm/10in loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Slowly mix the dark ale into the cocoa powder to form a paste.
• In a separate bowl
• beat the butter and soft dark brown sugar together until smooth and creamy
• then add the eggs one at a time beating between each addition.
• Stir in the cocoa and ale mixture. Sift in the flour
• baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in batches
• stirring between each addition.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes
• or until springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water.
• Beat the icing sugar and butter together to form a soft paste. Add four tablespoons of dark ale and then fold in the melted chocolate.
• For the muscovado and malt cream
• whip all the ingredients together in a large bowl until thick and smooth.
• When the cake has cooled completely
• cut it into slices.
• Serve with the beer and chocolate icing spread over the cake and a dollop of muscovado and malt cream on the side.