Root Beer Cake

This root beer cake is a moist and delicious chocolate bundt cake with a root beer float glaze that will take you back to your childhood, slurping up those frozen root beer floats!

I spent most of my youth in Texas. I grew up in the suburbs of Houston with my brother and parents. My brother had just begun dabbling with computers (hello TRS-80) and with two professional parents working, my summers were left for to figure out.

My dad, the American, introduced me to root beer and I quickly fell in love with it. My mom is Persian and didn’t care for the stuff. This chocolate root beer cake always takes me back to those long lazy summer days of my childhood.

Why you should make this cake

Not surprising, I introduced root beer to my kiddos. My boys love it, my girl isn’t so keen on it. It was a hot and boring summer day when I really changed my kids’ lives and introduced the root beer float to them.

If you are not from the US, you may not have heard about a float. Basically, you get a tall glass and add a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. Then slowly pour root beer over the ice cream and watch it foam. Now, happily and carelessly drink it all up!

This root beer cake totally takes me to my childhood and my fascination with the root beer float. There’s root beer in the batter and that incredible drizzle frosting has root beer, too. If your a lover of all things root beer, then this easy and delicious bundt is for you!

Ingredients you need

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• Root beer: Since this is the star of the show, choose a root beer that has tremendous flavor. You can use A&W, Barqs or even stronger flavors like Dad’s and IBC.
• Dark unsweetened cocoa powder: You can also use regular unsweetened cocoa powder if you can’t find dark.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the salt in the recipe.
• Eggs: Large eggs are a staple in baking.
• Pantry staples: Light (or dark) brown sugar, all purpose flour, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt

Tools to Use

• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Hand Mixer
• Silicone Spatula

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Step-by-step directions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat. Stir often until the butter is melted.

2. Whisk in granulated and brown sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cocoa mixture cool to room temperature.

3. Whisk in eggs into cooled cocoa mixture.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Don’t over mix the batter.

5. Scrape the batter into 10-inch bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325ºF until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.

6. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan before gently loosening the sides of the cake from the pan and inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, root beer and butter in a medium-sized bowl. You can adjust the glaze to your taste by thinning it (adding more root beer) or thickening it (by adding more powdered sugar).

8. Spoon the glaze over the cake and let it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes or so before serving.

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Yield: serves 10-12

Root Beer Cake

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This root beer cake is a moist and delicious chocolate bundt cake with a root beer float glaze that will take you back to your childhood, slurping up those frozen root beer floats! Adapted from the cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cup root beer
• 1 ⅓ cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 TBS unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 cups root beer, 1 cup cocoa powder and ½ cup butter over medium heat.
2. Stir often until the butter is melted.
3. Whisk in granulated and brown sugars until dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and let cocoa mixture cool to room temperature.
5. Position an oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325ºF.
6. Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
7. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.
8. Whisk in eggs into cooled cocoa mixture.
9. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and slowly pour in and stir the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
10. Don't overmix the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
11. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
12. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan before gently loosening the sides of the cake from the pan and inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely (spray the rack lightly with nonstick spray before inverting the cake to prevent it from sticking as it finishes cooling).
13. To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, vanilla, ¼ cup root beer and 3 TBS butter in a medium-sized bowl.
14. You can adjust the glaze to your taste by thinning it (adding more root beer) or thickening it (by adding more powdered sugar).
15. Spoon the glaze over the cake and let it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Notes

Serve alone or with a glass of root beer and a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 396mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 2gSugar: 51gProtein: 5g

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