Root Beer Bundt Cake

This recipe, adapted from Behind the Burner.com, is a very rich, moist chocolate cake with a hint of rootbeer flavor that I boost with LorAnn’s Rootbeer Flavoring, found at cake-making supply stores or at www.lorannoils.com. I use about a teaspoon and a half in the batter and in the glaze to taste but the extra flavoring is optional.

Makes 8-12 servings.

Cake:

• 2 cups root beer (do not use diet)
• 1 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup root beer schnapps (optional, can be substituted with root beer)

Root Beer Fudge Frosting:

• 2 ounces 60% chocolate (melted and slightly cooled)
• 4 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup root beer
• 2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease or spray and flour a bundt pan to ensure the cake will slip out easily. Knock out excess flour.
2. In a small saucepan, heat root beer, cocoa and butter over medium heat until butter is completely melted. Add both sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove mixture from heat to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
4. In a small bowl, whisk eggs until just beaten, then whisk into cooled cocoa mix until combined.
5. Gently fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Mixture will be slightly lumpy. Do not over beat, which could cause the cake to be tough.
6. Pour mixture into bundt pan and bake 35-40 minutes. Rotate pan half way through. A small sharp knife inserted into the bundt should come out clean.
7. Cool the cake in the pan completely. Once cooled, gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn out onto a cooling rack. Make sure the cake is cooled completely before adding frosting.

Make this cake the night before serving to let the root beer flavor intensify, and don’t forget to serve with a big scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

For the frosting: Place all ingredients, chocolate, butter, salt, root beer, butter and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until fudge frosting is shiny and smooth. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the cooked bundt cake in a thick layer. Let frosting set before serving.