Thursday, July 16, 2009

The secret ingredient is...

root beer

Root beer!

I really love root beer. I love how the bubbles always go up my nose when I drink it. I love how it seems to taste like summer - all care free and child like. I remember drinking it as a kid, always IBC. I didn’t even know any one else made root beer for the longest time.

root beer cake

But I’d never thought of putting it in a cake before. It’s kind of crazy when your batter fizzes as you stir it. While you don’t really taste the root beer in the cake, you do in the frosting. It’s probably one of the most delicious frostings I’ve ever made. All chocolatey and root beery. And the cake is so, so moist, it’s a super good chocolate cake with a twist - you can’t really identify it.

I think I’m going to have to make a cream soda cake next.


root beer cake

root beer cake

Root Beer Float Cake

From Baked, New Frontiers in Baking

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan (or 2 round cake pans) with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes (or 25-30 minutes for 2 cake pans), rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.

Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.

38 comments:

  1. looks yummy. I recently saw a recipe similar to this only they were using gingerale- sounds good to me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Both the frosting and the cake look great. I loove both root beer and cake so will have to keep this recipe on hand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have to have this. Trying to think of a reason to make it....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks and sounds absolutely scrumptious, and I'm sure it tastes just as wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh Hannah this looks and sounds amazing! I LOVE root beer! Im saving this to try :) thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome!! This is one of the recipes from that particular book that I've been eying up simply because it seems like a weird combo.
    It looks super delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We don't have root beer in Britain so I've no idea whatsoever what it tastes like, but I have made a chocolate coca-cola cake and a chocolate guinness cake before - is it the same sort of idea? This looks amazing, especially with the frosting!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks absolutely decadent. I've been meaning to make a root beer cake or a cola cake for a while now. I definitely have to get cracking at it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Root beer and chocolate are a marvelous combination. I adore your idea for a cream soda cake too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, this cake is AWESOME! I made it for a Memorial Day BBQ, and even a picky 6-year-old asked me to make it again! It is definitely chocolate-y and very moist. Great post!
    I took all the salt out of the frosting, and it was still delish. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds and looks delicious.

    LOL!! My word verification is VAGGEFA? What in the world?

    ReplyDelete
  12. If I wasn't afraid I'd eat the entire cake, I would make this. It looks so moist in your pictures, nice work!

    ReplyDelete
  13. IBC root beer? I'm sold! What a great looking cake! You can also make a root beer float cake for another root beer recipe! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. sounds delicious!!!! your pictures are always so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I convinced my mom to make this! Hopefully sometime this week!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi!
    I've nominated your wonderful blog for the Kreativ Blogger Award!
    Have a look:
    http://bowlofmush.blogspot.com/

    Hope you had a nice weekend :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. this cake looks great, i have one question though:
    in the frosting...the two oz. of 60% cocoa, did you mean chocolate, or cocoa powder?

    ReplyDelete
  18. this cake looks great! i have one question though:
    in the frosting...the two oz. of 60% cocoa, did you mean chocolate, or cocoa powder?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Honestly I'm not a fan of chocolate or root beer but I'd be ALL over that cream soda cake.

    Do it! Do it! Do it!
    ~ingrid

    ReplyDelete
  20. Awesome! Totally going to try this one. :-) Root beer is the best soda EVAR!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I think I'm going to make this for my husband's bday next week! Thanks for sharing! :)P

    ReplyDelete
  22. ooh, I'm so excited to try this! My son is allergic to dairy--I wonder if I could sub vegan margarine for the butter? I figure it's worth a try--sounds delish! thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I made this for my mom's birthday today and surprised her and her coworkers with it. It was a hit - delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  24. aimee: i've never worked with vegan margarine but i think it would work!

    good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  25. how delicious it looks this amazing cake, I am so excited to know how to prepare this, I think that I will say to my wife to make it and I know with this chocolate cake all we are going to be happy eating it.

    ReplyDelete

  26. الاستاذ
    الاستاذ
    الاستاذ
    الاستاذ
    الاستاذ
    الاستاذ
    الاستاذ
    شركة الفتح لنقل العفش
    شركة نظافه شامله
    شركة تنظيف واجهات زجاج
    شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض
    شركة تسليك مجارى بالرياض
    شركة تنظيف خزانات
    شركة تنظيف مسابح بالرياض
    شركة مكافحة فئران بالدمام
    شركة عزل خزانات بالدمام
    شركة وايط شفط بيارات بالدمام
    شركة تنظيف واجهات زجاج بالدمام
    شركة شفط بيارات بالدمام
    شركة عزل اسطح بالدمام
    شركة تسليك مجارى بالدمام
    شركة تنظيف خزانات بالدمام
    شركة نقل اثاث بالدمام
    شركة رش مبيدات بالدمام
    شركة تنظيف فلل وقصور بالرياض
    شركة تنظيف شقق بالرياض
    شركة تنظيف واجهات بالرياض
    شركة تنظيف مسابح بالرياض

    ...........................................................................................................

    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة خبراء المملكة لخدمات التنظيف
    شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض 0566143611 - 0566822461
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة تنظيف فلل وشقق بالرياض
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة عزل و تنظيف الخزانات
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة نقل وتخزين أثاث بالرياض
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة تنظيف قصور بالرياض
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة تخزين أثاث بالرياض
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة تنظيف خزانات بالرياض
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة عزل خزانات بالرياض
    0566143611 - 0566822461 شركة تنظيف شقق بالرياض
    شركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمام
    شركة تنظيف قصور بالدمام
    شركة تنظيف بيوت بالدمام

    ReplyDelete
  27. Through payday advance online pay day economical loans with monthly expenses, you will be capable to gain access to easy money in the range of £100 to £1500. Read more...
    text loans @http://www.quicktextloan.org.uk
    Same day loans @http://www.samedayquickloan.co.uk
    Sameday loans @http://www.textloanonsameday.org.uk
    No credit check loans @http://www.textloannocreditcheck.org.uk
    text loans @www.click2textloans.co.uk
    text loans @www.atextloans.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. شركة تسليك مجاري بالرياض
    شركة بسمة الرياض تقدم لكم خدمات تسليك المجاري, فنحن شركة تسليك مجاري بالرياض متخصصة نقوم بانقاذك من مشاكل طفح المجاري التي تسبب العديد من المشاكل, فيمكنك الاعتماد علينا في تسليك المجاري الان لدينا اقل الاسعار مقارنة بباقي شركات المملكة السعودية
    شركة تسليك مجاري بالرياض
    اتصل بنا على 0502226184
    http://www.basmetelriyadh.com/%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%89-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6/
    التسويق الالكتروني و اشهار المواقع لشركة ميكسيوجي

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.