250 g Guinness or stout
250 g unsalted butter, diced
60 g cocoa
400 g caster sugar
140 g sour cream or crème frâiche
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
280 g plain flour
2½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1. Pour Guinness into TM Bowl and add butter. Heat 3 minutes/80°C/Speed 1.
2. Add cocoa, sugar, sour cream, eggs and vanilla.  Mix 20 seconds/Speed 3.
3. Add flour and bicarbonate of soda.  Mix 20 seconds/Speed 3. Pour into buttered and lined 23 cm springform tin and bake 45 minutes 180 degrees or Gas Mark 4.  Aga Ovens:  Bake 1 to 1½ hours in the middle of the Baking Oven. Leave to cool completely before applying one of the toppings.

Toppings

Either Cream Cheese Icing
300 g cream cheese, e.g. Philadelphia
150 g icing sugar
125 g double cream

1. Insert Butterfly Whisk.  Whip cream cheese until smooth Speed 2½.
2. Add icing sugar and mix in on Speed 2.  
3. Add double cream and mix Speed 2½ until smooth.  Spread over cake with a palette knife.

Or Chocolate Ganache
150 g double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp unsalted butter
150 g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

1. Add all ingredients to TM bowl.  Heat 3 minutes/37°C/Speed 2. 
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula and heat again 3 minutes/37°C/Speed 2 until chocolate is melted. Pour over cake and use a knife to smooth the icing over the edges. It will harden when cold.