A sophisticated autumn dessert – Mini Guinness Spice Cakes with Pumpkin Ganache and Cardamom Cream also offering pumpkin alternatives.
Sophisticated Autumn Dessert
There is a particular kind of dessert that belongs only to autumn, the kind meant for flickering candles, long dinners, and conversations that stretch well past the last sip of wine.
These individual Guinness spice cakes are not the towering, layered confections of summer. They are quieter. More intentional. Each one baked separately, like a small gift placed at the center of a plate.
The cake itself is dark and deeply fragrant, Guinness stout folded into molasses and rye flour, enriched with warm spices that bloom in the oven. The eggs are separated, the whites whipped until they are cloudlike, creating a texture that is both tender and airy, yet grounded with that unmistakable malty depth.
It is a molasses spice cake, yes, but one meant for grown-up palates and cool October evenings.
A Pumpkin White Chocolate Ganache Topping
And then, the surprise. A pumpkin white chocolate ganache, silky and luminous, gently spiced and folded with whipped cream until it becomes something between a mousse and a whisper. It settles over the cake like silk over velvet.
To finish, a cardamom cream foam, light, aromatic, unexpected. It lifts the richness and perfumes each bite with something softly floral and warmly spiced.
This is not just a pumpkin dessert.
It is an elegant fall dessert for dinner parties, for Thanksgiving tables, for nights when you want something refined but deeply comforting.
A Guinness Spice Cake
A spiced cake made with Guinness and molasses, is not sweet in a loud, sugary way. It is dark, brooding, and quietly complex. It tastes like toasted grain, like caramel pulled just to the edge of bitterness, like the scent of spice drifting from a wooden kitchen table at dusk.
Together, they create a cake that feels almost like autumn in edible form, dark amber in color, fragrant with clove and cinnamon, the crumb tender yet structured, each bite layered rather than simply sweet. It is not sugary, it is sophisticated.
The Spiced Cakes We Love For Holidays
As Autumn approaches, days grow shorter, and holiday celebrations begin to occupy the mind. We naturally ponder exciting menus we hope to share with friends and family.
Nothing tastes more like October, November and December than dark, rich, spices in a dessert. This cake is so rich with holiday-season flavors that it is sure to become a favorite to make again and again each Autumn and Winter season.
Why Guinness Works So Beautifully in a Warm Spice Cake
A Guinness molasses spice cake tastes like the darker side of autumn, like leaves just beginning to turn, like brown sugar melting into butter, like the first evening you need a sweater. The stout doesn’t shout “beer.” Instead, it hums quietly beneath the spices, deepening the cinnamon, warming the ginger, rounding the edges of the molasses.
- Malt Loves Spice – The roasted barley in Guinness echoes the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. Malt and spice are natural companions; both have earthy, toasted undertones. When baked, they amplify one another rather than compete.
- Bitterness Balances Sweetness – Molasses can be intensely sweet and heavy. Guinness brings a gentle bitterness that keeps the cake from tipping into cloying territory. The result is balance, that elegant restraint your desserts are known for.
- Carbonation Adds Tenderness – The natural carbonation in stout helps aerate the batter, especially when paired with whipped egg whites. It contributes to a lighter crumb in what might otherwise be a dense cake.
- Moisture Without Greasiness – Stout adds liquid richness without extra fat. The cake stays moist but not heavy, ideal for individual cakes where texture matters.
Pumpkin Season
Since I live in the countryside, nestled between the nation’s capital and the Chesapeake Bay, harvest season for crops such as pumpkin and corn are all around me.
My favorite thing to do at the onset of autumn it to take my grandchildren to a pumpkin patch to pick their own pumpkin to take home, and one for grandma to make something yummy.
I decided to experiment on my little ones, by using them as the taste samplers for the pumpkin ganache that would go into the finale of this beautiful dessert.
How could they not love it, with pumpkin, white chocolate, cream and pumpkin spices, I would just tell them it’s a pudding, after all, a ganache sure tastes like a pudding to me.
Pumpkin Ganache
Pumpkin is almost always at the forefront of many holiday menu ideas, but what if you wanted to create a dessert that looks and tastes so spectacular that you would serve it to royalty. That is where we transform pumpkin, as most cooks use it, into something unique, into a Ganache!
Because ganache, real ganache, is already a love story before we ever add pumpkin.
There is something quietly miraculous about ganache. At its heart, it is simply warm cream poured over chopped chocolate. Nothing more elaborate than patience and a gentle stir. And yet, what emerges is silk. Gloss. A softness that feels almost architectural in its perfection.
Let’s face it, pumpkin desserts often look more rustic and ‘down home’ in appearance. We’re about to change that with this spectacular, French inspired pumpkin ganache, rich with white chocolate.
This thick and rich pumpkin ganache will be placed on top of the spiced cake using a quenelle method of placing it.
What A Quenelle Technique Is
A quenelle is a smooth, three-sided oval formed by passing a soft mixture, like mousse, whipped cream, ice cream, or ganache, back and forth between two spoons until it becomes sleek and sculpted.
It is not just scooped, it is shaped.
This quenelle technique, originally a French pastry technique, is one we are going to use on top of our Guinness spice cake because once it makes the ganache look so smooth, creamy and elegant.
How To Quenelle Like a French Pastry Chef – Even If You’re Not One
Somewhere in the polished kitchens of France, particularly in the culinary stronghold of Lyon, cooks were shaping delicate dumplings called quenelles with nothing more than two spoons and steady hands. What began as a practical method became one of the most elegant plating techniques in modern pastry.
Today, the quenelle method is the quiet signal of refinement. It tells your guests: this dessert has been composed. And the best part? It’s entirely learnable.
What You Need To Quenelle
Once the pumpkin ganache has set, you will need only a few tools:
- Two spoons of the same size. I prefer to use oval shaped spoons as opposed to round one. For me, it already lends help to the shape I am after.
- A soft scoopable mixture. While we will be using the set pumpkin ganache, many other options are used to make quenelles.
- A small bowl of warm water – to rinse the spoons as needed.
- A clean towel, aiding in each quenelle looking a clean and perfectly shaped as the first one.
Step-by-Step – Two-Spoon Quenelle Technique
- Warm Your Spoons – Dip both spoons in warm water and dry them. Warm metal glides more smoothly and helps create that glossy finish.
- Scoop Generously – With your first spoon, scoop a slightly oval mound of ganache or cream. Don’t overwork it yet.
- Pass and Shape – Gently pass the mixture from one spoon to the other, smoothing the surface with each transfer. Rotate your wrist slightly as you move it back and forth. This motion creates the signature tapered ends and soft ridges. Usually 3–5 passes is enough.
- Place with Intention – Tilt the spoon and gently set the quenelle onto the top of your cake. Slide it off in one smooth motion. No hesitation.
Option Instead Of Pumpkin Ganache
Not everyone loves the taste of pumpkin. And while this Guinness spice cake recipe can stand on its own, there are so many other autumn flavors that would compliment this cake and be just as easy to swap out instead of the pumpkin.
- Pear Puree – Softer, late-autumn elegance. Fold silky pear purée into the white chocolate ganache instead of pumpkin. Pear is delicate and slightly floral. It doesn’t dominate; it lingers. Against the stout-rich spice cake, it creates contrast without heaviness. The cardamom foam becomes brighter here, almost luminous, because pear and cardamom are natural companions.
- Apple Butter – Deeper, caramelized warmth. Apple butter brings concentrated sweetness and gentle tang. It plays beautifully with molasses and Guinness because it carries its own caramel notes. This version leans cozy and nostalgic, but still refined when a quenelle technique is applied. The cardamom foam becomes more aromatic and slightly exotic against the apple’s familiarity.
- Fig or Date Puree – Deep and luxurious. For something more unexpected, fold in a smooth fig or Medjool date puree. Now the dessert leans Mediterranean and moody. The natural honeyed sweetness of figs or dates plays beautifully with Guinness’ roasted barley notes. Cardamom feels perfectly at home here, almost as if the whole dessert shifted slightly eastward in inspiration.
Individual Spiced Cakes
There’s something about making individual cakes, instead of one large cake, that always appeals to me. Whether serving for two or a large gathering, an individual cake looks elegant and intentional.
Once a large cake is sliced and served, it takes on a messy appearance and the inside, which is exposed to air, begins to dry out.
Please don’t mistake individual cakes for cupcakes, they are both quite different in appearance. With the use of an individual springform pan, or the lids of Mason jars, these cakes bake quickly and are only about an inch tall and four inches in diameter, making for a beautiful presentation on an elegant plate.
How To Use Canning Lids As Cake Pans
Since I have a large family I often prefer to make very small individual tarts or cakes for a family gathering. It makes serving them tidy and easy, and there is less waste than cutting into a large cake or pie and having them look a sloppy mess or begin to dry out.
Mini tart or cake pans can be very expensive, sometimes upwards of $10.00 per pan. So, my new favorite way to make affordable, easy to serve individual desserts is by using the lids of a Mason Jar!
The lids are designed to withstand heat when canning and immersing in boiling water, which makes them perfect to withstand the heat of the oven. Simply invert the lid in the metal ring so it is upside down, pressing the rubber ring to the bottom of the ring. Bake. When the cakes or tarts are cool, simply pop them out.
Cardamom Foam
What is a foam? Honestly, it’s really just this fancy way of putting a splash or a drizzle of more flavor on either sweet or savory dishes.
Simply mix up whatever the flavor, broth, sauce or cream is you want, toss it into a steel cylinder, fitted with an N20 cartridge, nitrous oxide, and poof, it turns the contents into the consistency of a whipped cream, or lacy foam.
Really it is just a cool kitchen toy, for making sauces and creams look beautiful on the plate. Think of it as your DIY can of whipped ‘whatever’!
Cardamom spice in a sweetened whipping cream was exactly the extra splash of exotic panache I wanted for this very elegant, yet simple dessert.
How To Make Mini Guinness Spice Cakes and Pumpkin Ganache
Well, are you ready to make this decadent dessert? There are three separate parts to making this fancy dessert. While each is not difficult, doing them all at the same time can be a little time consuming. Therefore I make each component at different times, so when I am ready to assemble, it will seem like an easy dessert.
How To Make Mini Guinness Spice Cake
Making this luscious Guinness spice cake couldn’t be easier, so preheat your oven to 350 and by the time it is warm, the cake batter will be ready.
- Measure the dry ingredients into a medium bowl.
- Melt the butter and whisk in the sugar while the butter is warm. Once it cools slightly, whisk it into a large bowl with the egg yolks.
- In a medium saucepan, simmer the molasses and Guinness. The saucepan needs to be twice the depth of the liquid. Stir in the baking soda and don’t panic when it bubbles and rises like a science project. It reduces quickly.
- Whip egg whiltes to fluffy clouds.
- In the large bowl with egg yolks, and the melted butter and sugar mixture, slowly whisk in the dry ingredients. Fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Transfer into individual, oiled baking pans, preferably with removable bottoms and bake about 25 minutes.
How To Make Pumpkin Ganache
Ganache is so easy to make but is best made a day before you plan to use it, giving it plenty time to set.
- In a medium size bowl, pumpkin puree, cream, softened butter, spices and salt are mixed well.
- Melted white chocolate is whisked in.
- The mixture is then transferred to a shallow dish or pan. Plastic wrap placed right on time of the mixture as it set firmly in the refrigerator.
How To Make Cardamom Foam
There are several ways to make the foam depending on dairy or nondairy preferences. In my video you will see that I made a more complex foam from coconut cream, which does not whip on its own as does whipping cream. This method relies on the addition of gelatin.
For the recipe card below, I have given you a simple heavy cream recipe to use in a foaming canister. In this method you simply whisk the cream, sugar and spice together, transfer to the canister and the nitrous oxide cartridge does all the foaming for you.
Ingredients For Guinness Spice Cake with Pumpkin Ganache and Cardamom Foam
Every element of this dessert leans into the essence of autumn comfort, a balance of spice, depth, and silkiness that lingers long after the last bite.
- Spice Cake:
- Molasses and Guinness create the base notes of the cake, adding rich, dark sweetness and a malty depth that enhance the spices and bring moisture to the crumb. The slight bitterness of Guinness balances the molasses, giving the cake a complex, grown-up flavor.
- Baking soda reacts with the acidity of the molasses and stout, ensuring the cake rises light and airy despite its deep, dense ingredients.
- Rye flour lends a rustic earthiness, while unbleached flour keeps the texture tender and balanced. Together they give the cake both structure and a subtle, wholesome flavor.
- The aromatic blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and white pepper warms the senses, an orchestra of spice where ginger and pepper bring heat, cinnamon and nutmeg add sweetness, and cardamom threads through with its citrusy perfume.
- Baking powder and salt bring lift and balance, letting each flavor shine in harmony.
- Eggs enrich the batter with body and structure, while brown sugar adds caramel depth and moisture that complements the spices. Butter rounds it all out, binding flavor to texture and infusing every crumb with richness.
- Ganache:
- White chocolate provides creamy indulgence, while pumpkin puree gives body and a subtle autumn flavor. Whipping cream keeps the texture smooth and luscious, and pumpkin spice mix ties the filling to the cake’s spiced notes. A touch of butter enhances shine and mouthfeel, while a pinch of salt sharpens every sweet edge.
- Cardamom Foam:
- A whisper of elegance is made from whipping cream and confectioners sugar, whipped just enough to create soft peaks, scented lightly with cardamom. It’s airy yet fragrant, a cloud of spice to crown the richness below.
Equipment Needed
- Mason Jar Lids – the wide mouth size, or removable bottom tart pans
- Saucepan for melting the white chocolate.
- Measuring cup and spoons, as are a staple in a bakers kitchen for a more precise balance between wet and dry ingredients.
- Plastic wrap used to place tightly across the top of the ganache while it sets.
- Mixing bowls for easy mixing of the various elements of the recipe, rather than washing one bowl each time it’s needed, I like to set out several bowls for various steps and simply wash them all when done.
- Refrigerator to set the ganache.
- Oven where the magic happens to bake the cakes.
- Stove top or burner to melt the white chocolate.
- Spoons for shaping quenelles – I find 2 oval shaped soup spoons work great for this.
- Whipping cream and Foaming dispenser – (optional) for professional sweet or savory foams, even great for home fancy coffee drinks with lots of foam.
- Hand mixer to whip the cream
Mini Guinness Spice Cakes with Pumpkin Ganache
Equipment
- 6 Individual mini removable bottom pans or a single 9-inch
- Whipped cream dispenser optional
Ingredients
CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Molasses
- 1 cup Guinness or dark ale
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cup Rye flour
- 1 tsp Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg each
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Large Eggs separated, egg whites whipped and set aside
- 1/3 cup Brown sugar
- 8 tbsp Butter melted, cooled
PUMPKIN GANACHE INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz White Chocolate melted
- 3/4 cup Pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup Whipping cream
- 6 oz Butter soft/room temperature
- 4 tsp Pumpkin spice mix homemade
- 1/2 tsp Salt
CREAM INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Whipping cream
- 1 tsp Cardamom
- 2 tbsp Confectioners sugar
Instructions
CAKE PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 350. Nonstick spray into 6 individual, removable bottom tart pans, or 1 removable bottom baking pan.
- Simmer the molasses and Guinness in a pan twice its depth, until incorporated. Stir in baking soda carefully, and don’t worry when it bubbles and rises like a science experiment. Cool.
- In medium bowl, mix both flours, spices, salt and baking powder. In a separate larger bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in butter and cooled molasses mixture into the egg mixture.
- Fold in dry ingredients until lightly blended. Fold in whipped egg whites. Transfer batter into prepared pan/pans. Bake until tester comes out clean, 25-45 minutes. (Timing will vary depending on the size pans used.) Cool on wire rack.
GANACHE PREPARATION
- In a medium size bowl, place pumpkin puree, cream, softened butter, spices and salt and mix well. Add melted white chocolate and blend.
- Place mixture in a low bowl or pan. Press plastic wrap on top of the ganache, so it does not form a skin. Chill for a few hours or over night, allowing the mixture to set and become firm.
- Allow to set over night
CREAM PREPARATION
- Whip these ingredients together until firm. Store in fridge until ready to use.
ASSEMBLY
- Components are now ready to assemble. Place an individual cake on each beautiful plate. Using the quenelle method (instructed above), place a scoop of pumpkin ganache on one side of the top of the cake. Do the same with the cardamom foam, by either using the quenelle technique or a whipped cream dispenser. A few shaves of freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon on top will make for the perfect topping!
Video
Notes
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.