Root Beer Bundt Cake

Since I have a case of rootbeer soda in the house I thought that I'd try making this cake.  My husband took our daughter with him on a Home Depot trip.  Since I now stay away from all stores on the weekends (seeing how nice and empty they are during the week!) I was having nothing to do with that trip.  With my son home with me, I decided to enlist him to help me make the cake.  He actually did a great job, though we need to work on the egg cracking!  Overall, this cake was nice and chocolatey.  You can definitely taste the rootbeer, though it is subtle.  I of course made a bad judgment call.  I thought that 2 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar sounded like a lot so I only used about 1 cup.  As a result, I didn't get that thick, white looking glaze for the cake.  I guess I haven't made very many glazes, but file under lesson learned.  I don't think I have the greatest of bundt pans, as I have yet to make a cake that hasn't fallen apart when taking it out of said pan. 

Root Beer Bundt Cake
Food Network Magazine, July/August 2011

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 cups root beer
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
3 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan; tap out the excess flour.

Heat 2 cups root beer, the cocoa powder, chocolate and 1 stick butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the granulated and brown sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Combine 2 cups flour, the baking soda, allspice and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk the eggs into the root beer mixture, then gently fold in the dry ingredients (the batter will be slightly lumpy).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer to a rack. Gently poke the cake all over with a skewer and pour 1/4 cup root beer over the cake; let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup root beer, a pinch of salt, the confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.