Root Beer Float Cake
Written by joythebaker on May 18, 2009 – 8:34 am -
Before I made this cake on Sunday afternoon, I sat down with a nice, tall root beer float. Sure, it was 10:30 in the morning. I suppose that technically that means I had a root beer float for breakfast. That’s one of the great thing about being an adult, you can have a float for breakfast with no resistance.
Something about a root beet float puts me on a conveyor belt back to some really random childhood memories. The taste, the bubbles, the increasingly creamy soda… it take me back to constantly skinned knees, playing in a beat-up old red wagon with my sister, and sitting in front of an old black and white television watching baseball with my grandfather. Funny what a little ice cream and soda can do in your brain, right?
But cake!? Root Beet Float Cake? I have so many questions. Will it have the same memory inducing effects as the real deal? Is that asking too much? Wait, is this cake chocolate or root beer? Can I eat it for breakfast? Will it change my life for the better?
Answers and cake, just a click away.
Here’s what you should know about the Root Beer Float Cake. It’s a wonderfully moist, super chocolate Bundt Cake. It’s the kind of cake that’s great to take to a outdoor summer party because it has the “hmmm” factor. People will wonder what’s in it besides the chocolate.
The cake doesn’t have the same memory inducing effects as a real root beer float. I blame that on all the chocolate. The root beer flavor does intensify in the cake the next day. I suggest making the cake a day ahead, wrapping it well, then frosting it and serving the next day. And yes… cake for breakfast is always encouraged around these parts. Cake for breakfast usually makes my life better.
Try this cake. Maybe for Memorial Day. Maybe put it on your summer baking list. I’d love to hear what you think!
Root Beer Float Cake
Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.
In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.
Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.
Chocolate Root Beer Frosting
2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Tags: bundt cake, cake, Chocolate, entertaining, Holiday, root beer
Posted in Cakes, Holiday, In the Kitchen, Recipes | 129 Comments »
Funny but true story. Made this cake and took it over to my parents’ house this past weekend. My 80 year old mother cut us each a very small piece and then sat down to take a bite. One taste and she jumps up, covers the cake and puts it in the fridge announcing “We are done”. Within 5 minutes she had invited all of the neighbors over for tea the next day – with the root beer float cake being the guest of honour.
Lovely moist delicious cake – with the Mom seal of approval.
Thank you!
I am laughing so hard at the eccentricity of the previous commenter’s mother. Ha!
Anyway, I made this yesterday, substituting Pepsi for Root Beer, since it was what I had on hand. It was fabulous, and my hubby and daughter loved it, too! Thanks for the great recipe.
[...] a similar note, I made this cake last night, only using Pepsi Throwback (it was what we had on hand), and OH YES you should make it, [...]
I made this cake last night, but in two rounds as a layer cake. It came out perfect. There was just enough icing to fill and ice the whole cake. I made it for my boss for his birthday which is during Thanksgiving break so we always miss it. I thought it would be a fun to celebrate at the complete wrong time – a total surprise. Everyone loved the cake. No one could taste root beer though.
I am most pleased that this cake came out exactly as it was supposed to. Nothing is as fustrating as a recipe that doesn’t come out quite right when you know you followed it to the letter. I will make this cake again, as a bundt next time, but I was thinking that a vanilla creme filling in the center would be really yummy too!
Thanks Joy for spreading the joy of baking!
I made this and it was AMAZING. I blogged about it (http://live-laugh-sparkle.blogspot.com/2009/06/bake-this-cake.html). No one could taste the root beer, but that was just fine. Everyone loved it.
I just finished making a cupcake version. I have to bring a dessert for the Father’s Day luncheon at church tomorrow and this was the first thing that came to mind.
I made this into cupcakes over the weekend and it was extremely well received by all my family and friends! Everyone loved the deep, rich taste.To a point – my friend’s 5 year old niece – Raissa, apparently cried over the last cupcake – aww, bless. So I shall be baking a special batch just for her!
Hello, Joy!
I am baking this cake as I type this. I found some organic root beer at a local market (Tommy’s Naked Soda) which has a super root beer taste without the caramel color…which leads me to my question- thoughts on making a vanilla root-beer cream icing? I am going to try and finangle it. I think it would make the perfect accompaniment to the cake itself- and then it would likely (hopefully) make that root beer flavor pop a bit more. This “naked” soda should be ideal for such an icing as it is clear, elliminating the off-color icing that would likely come from using regular root beer. Any tips on it would be appreciated, but I’m going to forge onward and see what I can create! Will keep you posted
A friend just sent me a link to this site yesterday, and I am already in love. Especially with this recipe. I’m going to make it for dessert when I make fried chicken with the Ad Hoc kit I just got at Williams Sonoma. Yay!
i wanna have babies with you, Joy!
This cake sounds super tasty. Damn it Joy your site always makes my mouth water!
My son just made this cake, looks yummy and the frosting is delicious.
Can’t wait to taste it later tonight.
I made them tonight and instead of a cake I put them in ice cream cake cones and made cupcakes. And I used a 3 to 1 ratio of Birch Beer to Rootbeer and it made them taste less like chocolate and have more of a rootbeer kick. Then I crushed up rootbeer barrel candies and sprinkled them on top! They are very yummy!
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Mmm, so mouth watering!
I have to say Joy, this recipe is delicious!! When I made this cake tonight I did forget to add the brown sugar but it still tasted great, and the chocolate frosting is the best!! I will be using this Chocolate frosting for so many things!!!!
[...] then TODAY I (ironically) came across this recipe for Root-beer Cake in my feed reader. Mmmmmm I may have to try it someday. I put it on the blog for posterity in case [...]
Wow. Just..wow.
I made a gluten-free version of this last night (my boyfriend is the root beer fan) and we could hardly wait to cut into it – it filled the apartment with such a rich, chocolaty aroma! The icing is delicious as well. It reminded me of birthday cakes my mom used to make. Thanks for an unusual and absolutely luscious recipe – the hint of root beer flavor adds a nicely subtle twist.
I am trying this cake again, but with the root beer schnapps this time. I will let you know how it turns out. The first time I made it was great, but I was missing that root beer pop. I may also try that organic root beer Leigh was talking about this weekend. I am obsessed with this yummy cake!!! Thanks Joy!!
Okay…I love this cake with the root beer schnapps!! I added 1/2 cup of the schnapps and 1 1/2 cups of root beer soda. One thing I did not do is heat up the 1/2 cup of schnapps with the root beer, butter, chocolate, and sugars. I added it after it cooled down. I also added it to the frosting and it gives it a major root beer taste with a zing!
) NICE!
My son in law (SIL-ly) loves root beer floats and he turns 30 next week. His wife is a happy baker and she is thrilled about making this special cake for him. Thanks for all the tips about how to ramp up the root beer taste.
Finally got this one baked….just sad it took me all summer! I posted my results on my blog. Thanks for hookin’ me up Joy!
Mmm.. I’ve had this bookmarked for months and I’m going to make it this week for my girlfriend’s birthday. I can’t wait… it looks delicious!
Hi Joy- I bought the baked cookbook months ago and have had my eyes on the root beer float cake. I plan on making it this weekend for a friend’s birthday bbq. One question about making the day ahead and wrapping it– should it stay out or be wrapped and put in the fridge? Thanks! I hope my pictures turn out as beautiful as yours– if they do I will post them to my blog http://littlemakedesign.blogspot.com/
you can wrap it and leave it out! enjoy!
[...] So here you go people: Root Beer Float Cake. [...]
Question: I am making this tonight for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. And the grocery store didn’t have the dark unsweetened cocoa powder. Can I use regular unsweetened cocoa powder instead?
[...] However, if used for the consumption of Root Beer Float cake, then that is just A-OK in my book. (Oh what’s that? You want the link to the recipe again? Here you go!) [...]
I also made these into cupcakes. they are delicious! I used only 1 cup of white sugar and they were nice and rich and chocolately tasting. i will definitely keep this one on hand as a “go to” recipe because it it so simple to make, and make a perfectly textured cake.
Thanks!