Root Beer Cake

Root beer is good. And cake is really good. So root beer cake should be really REALLY good, right? Well, that was the way my logic went! My parents came over to celebrate my dad's birthday and I wanted to make a cake. I searched high and low for a recipe but nothing was really screaming "DAD" to me. I then stumbled upon this cake recipe and knew that it was the perfect cake for my dad. He loves root beer so I figured he would truly enjoy this cake.

This cake was very easy to make and came together quickly. However, while it is very tasty, I barely tasted the root beer! I am not sure why but it just didn't stand out as a strong flavor. The chocolate seemed to really overpower the root beer. It still is extremely tasty but I am not sure what you could do to bring out more of the root beer taste.

Following the directions from the original blog, be sure to allow the chocolate mixture to cool before adding in the egg or you will have scrambled egg root beer cake and that's just nasty!

Source: Playing House, originally from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.

For the Root Beer Bundt Cake:
2 cups root beer (do not use diet)
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

For the Root Beer Fudge Frosting:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt (Amy's note: I didn't care for this, would omit it next time)
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium 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. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.

4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minute, 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.

5. Put all the frosting ingredients into a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth. Use a spatula to spread the frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving.