Have you ever tried making a beer cake? If you love beer and sweets, it's the best combination. And even though they work great individually, because Christmas sweets are a perfect pairing for Althaia Artesana's WINTER ALE, together they are an explosion of flavor.
So, here we bring you what will be the best dessert to celebrate this Christmas.
Ingredients for Winter Ale chocolate cake
250 gr. all-purpose flour (cake flour). Without yeast
75 gr. pure unsweetened cocoa powder Valor brand
400 gr. sugar
3 eggs
250 gr. quality butter
150 gr. liquid cream for cooking
250 ml. Althaia Artesana Winter Ale (you can drink the leftover bit)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and a half dessert spoons of baking soda
For the frosting or topping:
300 gr. cream cheese,
150 gr. powdered sugar
300 ml. liquid cream 35% fat (for whipping)
Preparation of the cheese frosting
We start by whipping the cream.
We will need 300ml of liquid whipping cream with a high fat content (35.1% fat) and half of the sugar, about 75 gr.
We will use a large bowl; if it's cold, even better.
Pour the cold cream into the bowl and beat until it changes from a liquid state to a kind of cream, with a little foam.
Once we have reached this kind of dense liquid cream, add the sugar, preferably powdered sugar, and beat until it reaches a nearly solid state. Set aside.
Mix the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until you get a smooth, homogeneous cream without any lumps.
Then add the whipped cream and mix with gentle movements until both ingredients are well integrated.
You will get a slightly unctuous cream that you will put on the cake when it is cold.
Refrigerate until final assembly.
Preparation of the WINTER ALE cake
Put the dark beer in a pot and heat it over medium heat, without letting it boil.
When it is hot, add the butter cut into pieces and stir until it melts completely. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a bowl, put the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda.
Mix until all ingredients are well combined and have a uniform color.
In another bowl, put the liquid cream, eggs, and liquid vanilla and mix with a hand whisk until you have a uniform mixture.
Then add the contents of the pot, the beer with the butter, and mix again until well integrated.
Once the liquid mixture is finished, gradually incorporate it into the dry ingredients.
Mix vigorously with a whisk until you get a uniform and lump-free batter. It will be quite liquid; don't be alarmed, it's supposed to be like that, then it solidifies and we get a magnificent juicy and moist texture.
Pour the batter into a greased mold. I recommend using a springform pan.
The oven should be preheated to 180ºC (top and bottom heat) 10 minutes before placing the cake in. Place the mold on the middle rack of the oven. The cooking time will be approximately 45-50 minutes or until you prick it with a fork and it comes out clean.
When the cake has been in the oven for 20 minutes (you will see that it already has a bit of a crust, that it is starting to set), put a little aluminum foil to cover the surface and prevent it from burning.
For the last 5-8 minutes, leave it uncovered to brown.
Once the time has passed, take the cake out. Let it cool in the mold for at least an hour, then transfer it to the plate where you are going to serve it.
Cake Presentation and Tasting
Add the topping by applying a thick, as uniform as possible, layer of the already prepared frosting over the cake (you can also cut the cake in half and use it as a filling).
Store the cake in the refrigerator and take it out about 15 minutes before your guests arrive.
We recommend making this recipe for one of your Christmas meals or dinners and surprising your guests by pairing it with a glass of Winter Ale.
We encourage you to post a photo of your cakes and tag us, so we can see how they turned out!