Black and Tan Cake

If you think I reach into the refrigerator a few times to often for a beer to cook with, think again.  Beer can be used so many ways.  The yeast in it makes a wonderful leavening agent.  This one uses Stout Beer.  I used the 25th anniversary Abita Vanilla Double Dog which had very heavy overtones of chocolate.  It had more chocolate flavor than any other stout I have tasted.  You could use any stout that you like.  I thought the bottle was cool so I bought. And to answer the question that is forming in your mind, yes, I buy wine the same way.  Like wine purchased on that premise, some beers are good and some go down the drain. I am not of the mind set that says that a good beer is an opened one. Enough about the beer.  Here is the recipe.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

3/4 cup of Butter, Softened
1 1/2 cups of Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup of Light Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
2 1/4 cups of Flour
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
3/4 cup of Stout Beer
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
4 ounces of Semi-sweet Chocolate, melted

Prepare an 8 cup bundt pan butter and flour or by spraying with oil and flouring the pan. Set Aside.
Cream butter and gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffly.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour, salt and Baking Soda.  Alternately add flour mixture and beer to egg mixture, beating well.  Add Sour Cream and beat well.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine melted chocolate and 1/2 of the cake batter to make the "black" batter. Mix well and spoon into the prepared pan. Try to press part of the batter up the sides of the pan so that the batter sits at an angle as much as possible.  Do not touch the sides of the pan with the spoon. 
Spoon the rest of the "tan" batter into the middle of the "black" batter and finally on the top.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.  When cooled, transfer to a cake plate and dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Deloris