Rootbeer Chocolate Cake
What can I say? If a recipe calls for an unexpected ingredient, you can pretty much guarantee I’ll be blogging it.
Avocado in my frosting. Sauerkraut in my cake. Pineapple in my enchiladas. Wine in my spaghetti. You get my drift.
So, really, do I have much explaining to do about a chocolate bundt cake that contains Root Beer? I made it pretty much immediately when I saw it on this blog. I consider it pretty much fate since I had Root Beer just sitting in my fridge. After all, who makes it a habit to keep that stuff around? Not us.
And it is getting close to the Omnivore’s birthday. And I’m bound and determined not to make him a boxed cake mix to celebrate. Even though he wants a boxed cake mix…and if I were truly living in the spirit of his birthday, I would make him what he wants, but I’m not. And I’m experimenting with cakes (see yellow cake post!). So I made it.
Okay. You are right. This is mostly a picture of the frosting, and I’m not even including a recipe for that particular chocolate frosting, and gives you no indication of the type of cake this is. Truthfully, the recipe is written for a bundt pan, so make it in a bundt pan. This was just leftover batter.
The cake is truly delicious. The Root Beer is subtle. The moistness factor is large. And it is a great conversation piece.
Recipe: Root Beer Bundt Cake
(from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
Cake:
2 c. root beer (do not use diet root beer)
1 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
Root Beer Fudge Frosting:
2 oz. dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. root beer
2/3 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray the inside of a 10″ bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small saucepan, heat root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, add eggs to the cooled cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy – do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a small sharp knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.
To make the frosting, put all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse on short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth.
Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt cake in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with ice cream on the side.
I need to try this. If I liked root beer pulled pork, then I think I would enjoy this. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been wanting to make this cake too. I think you inspired me. I have some root beer in my pantry! Yours looks perfect!