First Attempt: FAIL

So I've decided that if I only post my complete successes in this blog, it's not helpful for anyone who, like me, is just learning how to cook. (Or in this case, bake.)

I tried my cake recipe last night for cupcakes. I think it's the right texture for rolls, but for cupcakes, I've failed in a big way. They didn't rise very much, which tells me three things: Not enough leavening, oven temp wasn't hot enough, and the pH wasn't right.

The flavor, on the other hand, was amazing. Extremely chocolaty with the earthy tinge of dark ale. So, while the recipe, which follows, was a disaster, the ingredients will not go to waste.

Here's the recipe, v. 1.0, that will probably be kept as the basis for the rolls, which are to come.

Stout Chocolate Cake

• 1 bottle stout beer
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted in a double boiler.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter

Oven: 350

sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream sugar and butter together. Add egg yolks, melted chocolate, and vanilla and mix ‘till light and fluffy, (2x volume.) add the flour mixture in 3 installments, alternating with ½ the beer. (Flour, beer, flour, beer, flour. Stir a bit, and pour into prepped pans or cupcake paper. Bake 15-20 mins.

The changes for next time are these: Addition of 1 1/2 Tbsp white vinnegar to the eggs, 50% more flour, and a whole teaspoon of baking powder. The beer does fine as far as baking soda is concerned.

I took pictures. They are to come.