Root Beer Bundt Cake

Yesterday I got the text that would change everything. The text was from my awesome friend K (of course), and after reading it, the path I am on in my life was altered. A whole new door opened up to a world of fabulousity. It is my duty as a woman to step through this door. It is also my duty to share it with you.

We all deserve a little fab in our lives.

I strongly advise you to listen closely. What I am about to say is of the upmost importance.

The message from K said, “I really want to join Shoedazzle”.

‘Huh?’, I thought…and I quickly texted back asking what it was. She messaged me back with a link. A magical link. I clicked on the link and it was almost like Dorothy clicking her ruby slippers. I am going to let you experience what I experienced right now. You deserve it.

Magical Shoedazzle Link

Those of you who have just continued reading without clicking the link and transporting yourself to a magical shoe world….I am very disappointed. Very disappointed indeed. If you are thinking I am going to divulge the Shoedazzle secret, you are wrong. It loses it’s magic through translation. It must be experienced firsthand. Scroll back up and take a peek…..you know you are dying to.

I wanna be a Shoedazzle member. BAD.

Of course, like all major decisions, this is something I am going to have to discuss with my husband. So my goal for the next few days is to be on my best behavior and keep my late night question asking to a minimum.  Sigh….the things I do in the name of awesomeness.

After such a fabuous find, I felt renewed, rejuvenated, and ready to bake. I went to my cookbook shelf and pulled out one of the spunkiest cookbooks I own, Baked: New Frontiers In Baking. I have had this book for about a year and although I absolutely love looking at it, I am ashamed to say I had not baked anything from it yet. This book was written by a couple of guys that own a bakery in Brooklyn, and the pictures in this book are AMAZING. The Root Beer Bundt cake had been on my to do list for awhile, so I decided to tackle it before the Shoedazzle magic wore off.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups root beer (do not use diet)
1 cup dark unsweeted cocoa powder (DO NOT use regular cocoa powder. I used Hershey’s Special Dark, you can buy it at Wal Mart with the baking stuff)
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 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs

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

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 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 35-40 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 the rack.

FROSTING

2 ounces daark chocolate melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (again, I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

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

Use spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with ice cream on the side.

I added about a teaspoon of root beer concentrate (which can be found by the extracts in the spice aisle) to the cake batter, to intensify the root beer flavor. This cake still turned out more chocolately than root beery, but it was light and moist and delicious. The authors says that the root beer flavor intensifies overnight, so they recommend making it the day before serving. I think it’s great regardless of when you eat it!!

I’m off to dream about shoes….happy Thursday!!!