Root Beer Bundt Cake
This Root Beer Bundt Cake was the first recipe I made in the new bundt pan my sister Ruthie got me for my birthday. Alas, it tasted almost nothing like root beer, but was a very good, fudgey cake. Like so much I’ve been baking lately, it was from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
Root Beer Bundt Cake- yields 1 (10-inch) Bundt cake
Cake
2 cups root beer (do not use diet root beer)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
Frosting
2 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Topping
Vanilla ice cream
For the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy–do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.
For the frosting:
1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth. (My frosting never got shiny and smooth; it looked like mud.)
2. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the Bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with the ice cream on the side.
March 25th, 2010 at 8:11 am
I saved that recipe too and still want to try it, even if it doesn’t taste like root beer.
On a related note, I had some almond buttercream salted caramel cake from Cocoa & Fig last night that was fantastic. As the dessert after a dinner of homemade (not by me) poutine. It’s astonishing my arteries didn’t just shut down overnight.
March 25th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Please imagine me making Homer Simpson drooling noises, over both the poutine and the cake. Whoa.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
I will DEFINITELY try this one out. My guinea pig family is loving all the new recipes I find.
March 29th, 2010 at 9:02 am
I made this cake in February for my bff & blogging partner, Kristin! http://lovefeasttable.com/blog/do-not-open-this-bday-girl/
I did taste a subtle hint of root beer….maybe it’s the brand, I think I used A&W.
So far I haven’t tasted anything from Baked that hasn’t turned out delish!
And nothing from Cocoa & Fig is anything but yummy too!
Found your blog trough SGT!
Chris Ann
April 7th, 2010 at 7:39 am
LFT, your cake turned out much prettier than mine did. Your frosting came out the right texture; mine looked like mud. I sent my husband to the store with instructions to buy my favorite local root beer, Sprecher. He noticed it had HFCS in it (which I knew, but make an exception for in certain delicious cases, like Sprecher) so he got Virgil’s instead, which is fine root beer with good ingredients, but may not have had enough spice for the flavor to shine through. Next time I’ll use my favorite mainstream brand, Mug, or get the Sprecher myself.