Guinness Chocolate Layer Cake

From relishmag.com. To include optional 2/3 C currants, soak them in the Guinness until plump, drain and reserve stout, and stir in before pouring into cake pans.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• Drizzling Syrup

• 1⁄3 cup  Guinness stout
• 1⁄3 cup dark brown sugar
• 3  teaspoons  unsweetened cocoa powder

• Cake

• 2⁄3 cup  Guinness stout, measure after foam has gone down
• 1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
• 2  tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2  ounces  semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk
• 1 3⁄4 cups sugar
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 2  cups flour
• 2  tablespoons flour
•  cooking spray
• 2⁄3 cup butter
• 4  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup red currant jelly, warmed
• 1  cup walnuts, chopped

• Bittersweet Icing

• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
• 6  ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 1⁄2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 4 1⁄2 tablespoons  cocoa
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients for syrup over medium heat in a saucepan until smooth and sugar has dissolved.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. For the cake, add the stout to a small saucepan, combine with 1/3 C cocoa and bring to a simmer.
4. Remove from heat and add semisweet chocolate, stirring until melted.
5. Add buttermilk to slightly cooled mixture.
6. Combine 2T cocoa, 2T sugar, and 2T flour and use to coat 2 8 or 9 inch cake pans coated with cooking sprag.
7. Beat butter until smooth, and add 1 3/4 c sugar until blended.
8. Incorporate eggs and vanilla.
9. Add 2 C flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to butter mixture alternately with chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Batter may look curdled.
10. Pour batter into prepared pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, invert onto cooling rack.
12. Poke holes in top of cakes with a skewer or toothpick, and spoon drizzling syrup over cakes.
13. For Bittersweet icing, boil cream, remove from heat, and add chocolate and stir until combined. Cover tightly and chill, then beat with hand mixer UP TO 3 HOURS BEFORE SERVING CAKE. Add remaining ingredients when soft peaks form.
14. Spread warmed jelly onto one cake (bottom layer).
15. Cover jelly with 1/4 of bittersweet icing, place 2nd layer on top, and ice cake with remaining icing.
16. Press Nuts into sides of cake.