Hello!

I've made two layers for a chocolate stout cake using this recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/ganached-guinness-goodness/
But I made two 9x13 layers instead of a bundt cake and was wondering what to fill it with and what kind of icing to use. I don't have an electric beater, so I'd just be using a normal whisk. I'm thinking about filling it with pastry cream and strawberries and icing it with a dark chocolate ganache. Do you guys think this sounds okay? Or have any recipes to recommend that don't require electric beaters?

Also, do you guys have any suggestions for what to use to pipe "Happy Birthday" on top?

Thanks!

Your filling and ganache sounds good. You could also do chocolate pastry cream and raspberries! Maybe a little bit of white chocolate ganache for the piping.

One of my bakery favorites... filling of Jameson ganache and frosted with Bailey's IMBC.

for guiness cake I too use Bailey's Irish cream buttercream, and have done the Jameson ganache filling. The bailey's makes it all good!

I am a huge fan of caramel in chocolate cake. I think a Jameson's caramel filling would be delish. I am making a friend's wedding cake soon, and we have chosen chocolate stout cake with salted butter cream cheese caramel filling and ganache for one of the tiers.