Root Beer Bundt Cake

The idea of living in Oklahoma probably doesn't fill most of you with profound joy or longing. And I can understand. It's not the kind of place that most people dream of experiencing. We don't have particularly notable landscapes, architecture, culture, or events. What we do have is extreme temperatures and extreme weather. In fact, tornadoes are probably enough to turn most people off. Forever.
But I have lived the vast majority of my life here, and there is definitely happiness and contentment to be had. The people are kind and resilient, the sunsets are breathtaking, and the tornadoes aren't usually too bad (if that's any consolation). And, at the risk of sounding glib, one thing I love about Oklahoma is Pops.

Not only is Pops marked by the tallest soda bottle IN THE WORLD, but the convenience store and restaurant inside also has HUNDREDS of sodas in every flavor you've imagined, from all over the country, from all over the world. And it's right on historic Route 66, so bonus.

I love going to Pops and gambling on whether the random sodas I choose will be delicious or gross, mediocre or memorable. And they have many, many different root beers to aid me on my quest to find the best possible root beer. I've had lots of delicious root beers (some of my favorites are Iron Horse and Pop Shoppe), as well as some total bloopers (like their signature Round Barn root beer--why haven't they figured out that their house brew tastes like a paper bag?)

So I consider myself somewhat of an expert on root beers, and I was quite excited for this Root Beer Bundt Cake, though I wasn't really sure what to expect. I chose a favorite, high quality root beer in hopes that it would add to the cake.

In the end, none of us could really taste the root beer, with or without knowing it was in the ingredients. But it was still a moist, deliciously decadent chocolate cake. You definitely need the ice cream to go with it, since there's something synergistic about the combination. So, whether or not you're a root beer aficionado, I think you should try this cake. Mm...I kind of wish I had some more right now.

Root Beer Bundt Cake (printable recipe)

Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.

For the cake

2 c root beer (do not use diet)

1 c dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 c sugar

1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar

2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

For the root beer fudge frosting

• 2 oz. dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 c unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c root beer
• 2/3 c dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 c powdered sugar
Cooking Directions


• Preheat the over to 325 degrees. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick 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 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.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until the cake tests done. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn int out onto the rack.
• To make the frosting, put all 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 it set before serving, with vanilla ice cream, of course.

Mocha Fudgesicles

Your lives probably haven't been inculcated with The Simpsons like mine has. I'm not just talking about watching the show (the golden years anyway), though that is a part of it. I'm talking about Simpsons quotes flying all over the place whenever your family gets together, about playing Simpsons Themed games and reading Simpsons themed books. About marking the mood/tenor/hilarity/tragedy of a situation with the quote perfectly befitting the occasion. Does that seem insane to you?

Then you might not have fun eating dinner with my family.

Once, in college, my friend's sister's boyfriend's roommate had heard of my epic Simpsons knowledge (yeah, it was pretty renowned) and challenged me to a trivia contest. Guess who won?

I trounced him. It wasn't even close. I was almost embarrassed for him.

Almost.

So it stands to reason that any mention of fudgesicles is accompanied by a Simpsons reference. In fact, I can't think about fudgesicles without quoting this line, from Millhouse to Bart:

"You said there'd be fudgicles, Bart. Where's the fudgicles?"

"First of all, it's 'fudge-Sicle.'" 

So I bring you these fudgesicles, which have only been called fudgicles in my household. They are smooth and pudding-y, enjoyed by children and adults alike. The Mosher version of the recipe simply involves omitting the espresso powder. For the purposes of the blog, I made a regular batch and a Mosher batch. I know I didn't have to--who's going to call me on it?--but . . . confession: I am a Mormon who loves the smell/flavor/idea of coffee. How's that for flirting with the enemy, eh?

But despite my dark little secret, I think I liked these better without the espresso powder. The coffee flavor seemed to overpower the cocoa, in my opinion. If I were to make them mocha again, I'll probably halve the espresso powder. 

The base fudgicle, though--definitely worth repeating.

Mocha Fudgesicles (printable recipe)

Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 Tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder*
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 2 3/4 c whole milk

Cooking Directions

1. Put the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, flour, and cornstarch. Add the egg and cream and whisk until combined.
3. Place the saucepan over medium heat and slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. After the mixture boils, continue to cook, whisking, for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the butter. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute to cool slightly. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes, whisk vigorously for 1 minute, then pour into ice pop molds. Freeze until hard, about 6 hours. Release the pops from the mold by quickly running hot water along the plastic surface of the mold (be sure not to let the water touch the pops), then pull the pops out of the mold.

*Espresso powder can be omitted.