My favorite bars are the kind that go beyond drinks and think about snacks. Peanuts, potato chips, an emergency hot dog—whatever keeps the stomach happy while the drinks flow. At Dynaco, a cozy Brooklyn spot, there’s usually a freshly baked cake tucked behind the bar. One evening, as my girlfriend and I played cards, I tried a slice I hadn’t yet had: a gingery chocolate cake topped with a light, whipped cream cheese frosting. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
Let’s just say I won that round of Spite & Malice.
Curious about the cake, I reached out to Catherine Lloyd Burns, whose husband co-founded Dynaco with his brother back in 2013. Catherine bakes all the cakes for the bar, and while she admitted she’s received countless requests for this recipe over the years, she’s been careful about sharing it. “Lots of people have asked, and I haven’t given it out yet,” she wrote. “I don’t know if I ever will.”
But she was generous with guidance. She shared that her version was inspired by a Nigella Lawson recipe, though she “did some altering because I don’t like to just make someone else’s cakes.” Still, she promised that Nigella’s original recipe is fantastic, and that trying it would make me very happy—and she was right.
The next weekend, armed with a Guinness from the bodega, I baked the cake myself. It had been ages since I last baked anything, so this was a true test of my devotion to Dynaco’s version. Even though my attempt looked more like a children’s bake sale cake than a professional masterpiece, the taste was phenomenal. Moist, rich, and deeply chocolatey, it was worth every step. The next morning, I had a slice with coffee—and it was heavenly.
As I savored the cake, I wondered whether Catherine’s personal touch—perhaps a hint of fresh ginger—was what gave Dynaco’s version that extra spark. Either way, both cakes are incredible, and I can see myself making this one again and again. I might even swing by Dynaco soon to see what seasonal cake they’re baking now.
If you’d like to try it yourself, here’s Nigella Lawson’s Guinness Cake recipe (NYTimes gift link). As Nigella says: “This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting, but it is perfectly acceptable to leave the cake un-iced: in fact, it tastes gorgeous plain.”
Whether iced or un-iced, this cake is the perfect combination of rich chocolate, subtle spice, and that iconic Guinness depth—a dessert that will have you thinking about it long after the last slice is gone.
