In fact, let us all eat beer cake. We’ve all heard of beer being added to savory dishes, like the batter for fish and chips or in a bowl of beer cheddar soup. But how does beer figure into sweet dishes? Just fine, that’s how. You just need to use the right type of beer, and for our money, that’s a stout. We’ll teach you how to make an incredible chocolate beer cake using our signature Wake and Flake Coffee & Coconut Imperial Stout. But first, we need to write at least 500 words of relevant, useful content. By all means, “jump to recipe” to just make the dang cake.

History of Beer Cake

Beer cake may sound like a modern fusion of craft beer culture and baking, but the concept actually has historical roots. Beer has been used in baking for centuries, particularly in European countries where beer was a staple beverage. Before modern leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda became widely available, bakers often used beer or ale to help dough rise, thanks to its natural carbonation and yeast content. Beer-infused cakes and breads were especially popular in German, Belgian, and British traditions, where dark, malty beers lent a rich depth of flavor to baked goods, like gingerbread and cookies. Today, beer continues to be used in both traditional and new recipes..  

What Does Beer Do in Cake?

Beer serves multiple functions in baking to enhance flavor and texture. Here’s what it does:

• • Adds Moisture: The liquid content in beer contributes to a moist, tender crumb in cakes.

• • Acts as a Leavening Agent: Carbonation from beer provides a slight lift to the batter, which makes the cake fluffier.

• • Enhances Flavor: Beer brings a depth of flavor, ranging from caramel and chocolate notes to bolder tastes of coffee and dark fruit. 

• • Balances Sweetness: The maltiness in beer helps counterbalance sugar, which can help create a more layered flavor profile. 

Best Beers for Beer Cake

The best beer for beer cake depends on the flavor profile you’re aiming for. Just kidding. It’s stout. Stout is the best beer for beer cake. Especially chocolate cake. Most times, it already tastes chocolatey on its own, and the coffee notes you frequently encounter enrich the chocolate flavor. 

HOWEVER, if, for some very strange reason, you don’t LIKE stout, you could try one of these alternatives: 

• • Porter: Slightly lighter than stout but still full-bodied, porter beer brings a toastiness and slightly nutty flavor to a beer cake. 

• • Brown Ale: With a mild caramel and nutty flavor, brown ale pairs well with spiced cakes like gingerbread or cinnamon-infused cakes.

• • Pumpkin Ale: These are good for spiced cakes, too, since they’re often brewed with cinnamon, clove, ginger, and other stuff you’d find in a spice cake already. 

• • Belgian Dubbel: This beer style features dark fruit and caramel flavors. It can even have a slightly banana-y taste, so that might taste nice in a chocolate beer cake. 

Does Beer Cake Contain Alcohol?

Yes and no. While beer is used in the batter, most of the alcohol content evaporates during baking, especially at higher temperatures. However, we have to tell you that some residual alcohol may remain, depending on the baking time and temperature. Best to make an alcohol-free version if there’s little peeps attending your party. 

And now, without further ado, we present our beer cake recipe, featuring Vlad’s newest iteration: Wake and Flake Imperial Stout. We will admit that we’re pressing the “Easy” button on this one: cake mix and pudding mix. Work smart, not hard, am I right? 

Wake and Flake is brewed with coffee from Waldshänke Ciders & Coffee. We’re, like, only a ten-minute walk from them and BOY are we happy about that. They got QUICHE there, too. 

Chocolate Beer Cake Made With Coffee Coconut Stout (Yerm)

Ingredients:

• • 1 cup Wake and Flake Imperial Stout by Diebolt Brewing Company (or something similar but largely inferior)

• •  tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed

• • 1 box chocolate cake mix (should be 15.25 oz)

• • 3.5 oz instant chocolate pudding mix (one box, usually)

• • 1 cup beer

• • ¼ cup vegetable oil

• • 4 large eggs

Instructions:

1. 1. Spray a 9’ round cake pan or a bundt pan or cupcake tin or springform pan or whatEVER with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to match whatever vessel you are using to what it says on the back of the box of cake mix. 

1. 1. Mix the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and beer together just until they come together. It’s okay if you have a few dry bits, they’ll cook into the batter as it bakes. If you stir the dickens out of it, you’ll waste the bubbles in the beer and toughen up the gluten in the flour. So chill. 

1. 1. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake according to the time specified for the vessel specified on the back of the box where such things are specified. Or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

1. 1. Let the cake/cupcakes cool completely before serving. Dust with a little powdered sugar or go for supreme indulgence and make a ganache. Will all the time you saved making the cake, you can do that. It’s easy. Here:

Chocolate Ganache

1. 1. Take 4 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and put them in a medium-sized, microwavable bowl. 

1. 1. In a separate glass container or other microwave-safe vessel, put half a cup of heavy whipping cream. Microwave it on high for 45 seconds (careful it doesn’t pop or boil over). You can do this in intervals if it keeps your microwave happy. 

1. 1. Once the cream is visibly hot, pour it over the chocolate chips. Take a sip of beer and check your extremely depressing and Orwellian newsfeed for a couple minutes. 

1. 1. Then very happily return to cake and beer. Stir the mixture with a whisk until the chocolate and cream are fully incorporated. If the chocolate is having trouble melting all the way, put the whole bowl back in the microwave and zap it for another 10-15 seconds as needed. 

Pour the ganache over your completely cooled beer cake and top with some pretty raspberries or toasted coconut. If you made cupcakes, don’t pour the ganache over them. Dip each of them in the bowl instead. 

ENJOY!