Root Beer Chocolate Cake

Lately Mike has accused me of having "lost my passion for baking," so for his birthday I thought I'd make a good ole old fashioned homemade birthday cake - from scratch. I found a recipe for root beer chocolate cake and voila! Passion rediscovered.

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups root beer - made with cane sugar 
unsalted butter (room temp)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (room temp)
*Disclaimer: I forgot the brown sugar & it turned out fine (: 

Frosting Ingredients:
2 ounces milk chocolate or semi sweet melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Cake Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray bundt pan with Pam.

2. In a large 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.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

4. In a small cup, 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 over beat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 20-30 min on a wire rack, then invert onto a plate.

Frosting Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate over low heat on the stove. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.

2. Take the mixture off the heat and allow to cool (you may have to put in the fridge for a few minutes).

3. Whisk the cooled mixture to make sure it's mixed well and stiff enough to frost.

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