Beer Chocolate Cake

I've been experimenting with beer in my cooking and baking for a while now. I don't drink much of it coz it leaves me sleepy and bloated, but I do love the mild bitterness and depth it adds to food. Before I started the marathon experiments, I had only a layman's knowledge of beer. Pop a can or pull a draught at the microbrewery and really all beer was the same! Right? Wrong!! 

I actually got talking to a brewmaster and was boggled at all the subtleties and methods that differentiate each brew. Roasting, hopping, brewing, maturing... they all combine in limitless combos to bring the perfect aaahhh to your sip! 

When I baked my Beer Bread, I was completely clueless and just reached into the fridge for a Bud. But this time round I was better educated, and now that I understood the flavour profiles, i was confident of pairing the right beer with the right ingredients. 

This particular cake uses the English Brown Ale. The dark colour boosts the chocolate tones. And the roasted nutty malts carry an undertone of chocolate that just enhances the taste of the cake to an altogether different level. 

The best part about adding beer to your bakes is the texture. This cake in particular has a gorgeous moist crumb that makes you just reach for slice after slice. If you think I exaggerate, just bake a batch and try for yourself! 

Now I wish this was an original recipe, however, my inspiration comes from The Beeroness. I tweaked a few ingredients around. Added some and subtracted a little. After all, what's life without a little twist?!

Ingredients:

Eggs                         1

Butter                       1/2 cup

Granulated sugar     1 cup

Muscovado sugar    1/2 cup

Vanilla essence        1/2 teaspoon

Ginger powder        1 teaspoon

Beer                         3/4 cup

Oil                           1/4 cup

Flour                       1 1/2 cups

Cocoa Powder        3/4 cup

Baking soda           1/2 teaspoon

Salt                         1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180 C. Sift all the dry ingredients together. Beat the butter and the two sugars till pale and fluffy. Add the egg and the essence. And beat well. Gently stir in the beer and oil till combined. Do not beat or the beer will get too flat. Now fold in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Gently mixing till all is just combined. Pour into a well greased cake dish. Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool a little before cutting in!

Beer Bread

There is something about baking bread that scares even the most seasoned baker. Well, most breads are quite unforgiving. You have to get the quantities just right, proof the yeast, allow it to rise just so..too much and it will be just air pockets, too little and it will be stone... you have to punch, proof, punch again. A rather long and tedious process that may still leave you with results, well, deflated!

This is where Beer Bread comes in. It is a simple, no fuss bread. Like having drinks with your bumchum in pajamas. Effortless! No complicated ingredients or steps, and with a guarantee of success. Don't take my word for it. Just chuck it all in and surprise your folks with some freshly baked bread this weekend. 

Ingredients:
Flour                        3 cups
Baking Powder        4 1/2 teaspooons
Brown Sugar           3 tablespoons
Salt                          1/2 teaspoon
Beer                         1 and 1/2 cup
Butter                       1/4 cup, melted

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Thrice. Now that the tough part is over, mix in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x5 inch loaf tin. Top up with some grated cheese if you like. Bake for 50 minutes. Rest for another 15 minutes or so. Turn it out and dazzle!