Root Beer Bundt Cake

Before I tell you about this FANTASTIC cake, let me talk about my talents for a moment. My talents live in the kitchen, not with the camera. I will give myself a pat on the back and say that my pictures have improved A LOT over the last two years. However, I am a baker/cook, not a photographer. Why am I saying this? Well, because it is extremely difficult to make a small, round chocolate cake with fudgy frosting look pretty. The point is that it is AMAZING, so hopefully you can overlook the round brown blob on a plate and make this cake!

I purchased the Baked cookbook a little over a year ago and immediately was intrigued by this Root Beer Bundt Cake. So much has happened in the last year, though, that this cake kind of got pushed to the bottom of my "to bake" list.

I am SO glad I jumped in and made it yesterday. I absolutely LOVE this cake and will definately be making it again when Nathan comes home. The cake is so moist and chocolately with a nice root beer flavor. The root beer isn't overpowering, but I love the depth it provides for this cake.

The frosting also gets a kick from the root beer and is so rich. I wanted to just eat the frosting with a sp0on, but I am glad I put it on the cake. So good! The recipe suggests serving this cake a la mode to make it more root beer float-ish and while the cake doesn't need it, I will definately serve it with a scoop of homemade ice cream next time.


Now what are you waiting for? Go buy some root beer and make this cake. Don't make the same mistake I did and wait a year to make it. It is so good that it deserves to be made TODAY!


Root Beer Bundt Cake
Baked: New Frontiers In Baking

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

For the cake:
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.

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.

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 flour mixture into the 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 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 a platter.

For the frosting:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth.

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.