The Ultimate Guinness Cake.

The Guinness Cake is a very special cake. So special, a friend of mine "who doesn't like cake" can't get enough of this dense, rich, Guinnessy Cake.

Originally a Nigella Lawson recipe, I've made a few changes. I love how the cream cheese frosting resembles the frothy head sitting on top of the glass of stout. I like to use extra icing sugar in the frosting, making it that little bit stiffer and giving it a much needed sweet kick to contrast the deep flavour of the cake.

I also have recently discovered Little Pod Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract. The intense vanilla taste really works with the bitter and rich taste of Guinness.

For the cake:

250mls Guinness
250g unsalted butter
75g cocoa
400g caster sugar
142mls sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting:

300g Philadelphia cream cheese
200g icing sugar
125ml double or whipping cream

Makes about 12 slices

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C, and butter and line a 23cm springform tin.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter, a spoon at a time. and metl the butter on a low heat. When the butter has melted, whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the buttery brown mix. At this time you should turn off the heat to the pan. Finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for about an hour. Stick a skewer in the cake and if it comes clean, your cake is ready, if not leave in the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes. Every time I have made this cake, the time has always varied.

As the cake is quite damp, leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack.

When the cake is cold, you can get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and beat them together. Add the cream and beat on a high speed until the the frosting becomes a good spreadable consistency. Do not over beat or the cheese will begin to split.

Ice over the frosting to your cake and enjoy the mighty Guinness experience.

Lauren loves... The Hummingbird Cafe.

Not be be confused with the famous Hummingbird Bakery!

So i'm sat here, loving the Hummingbird Cafe. It's tucked away just off the Uxbridge Road, famous for it's plethera of chicken and chip shops. It's Shepherds Bush's well kept secret for sure!

When I moved here nearly 2 years ago, I unexpectedly found the Hummingbird Cafe (then called the Cupboard) and fell straight in love. The best time to eat here is most definitely for breakfast, my all time favourite has got to be their eggs benedict with serrano ham and spinach. The Hummingbird always poach their eggs just right, there is nothing more satisfying than popping the yolk all over my plate. Gooey yolky yumminess! 

By bigging up the breakfasts I don't want to necessarily ignore the rest of its opening hours. Often after work I cannot resist popping in and buying myself a sweet treat. Their cakes and sandwiches often change regularly so i'm never stuck for choice. They sell a beautifully light currant bun, aptly named the QPR bun. A Hummingbird speciality is their lemon and rosemary sponge. Absolutely dripping with sweet, lemony, herby syrup, it has opened my eyes to baking with herbs. 

So if your ever in W12, head to Oaklands Grove. It would be a shame to miss this wonderful cafe come deli. Even if your not hungry, its worth a trip just for the coffee.