Maine Beer Velvet Cake

Maine Beer Velvet Cake

Recipe by Christine Burns Rudalevige
Course: Dessert
Cooking time

25

minutes

The Maine Beer Velvet Cake is an adaptation of the traditional Red Velvet Cake by food writer/developer Christine Burns Rudalvige. This recipe appeared in the Maine Press Herald alongside an article on beer makers and sustainability. We are proud to have many of the breweries who use Maine Grains featured in the article – along with the Brunswick Maine brewery Moderation Brewing – whose stout is used in the recipe.
In Christine’s own words: ‘I adapted this recipe from one published on the craft beer cookery website The Beeroness: Have Your Beer and Eat It Too. Creator Jackie Dodd replaced the red dye included in the famous Waldorf Astoria Red Cake recipe, with a chocolate stout. Since there is not a lot of chocolate in the mix, the slight bitterness of the beer adds an interesting twist to the cake.  My adaptation features Maine stout (I used Moderation Brewing Company’s Box Shop Girls Breakfast Stout), butter rather than shortening and Maine Grains spelt flour. I like peanut butter-cream cheese frosting as it’s my daughter’s favorite, but if you stick with a plain cream cheese frosting, you’ll taste the stout better’
Christine Burns Rudalevige, Food Writer, Recipe Developer and Tester, and Food Stylist, Author of Green Plate Special (Islandport Press, May 2017)
Maine Beer Velvet Cake. Press Herald photo by Shawn Patrick Ouellette

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour we suggest Maine Grains Sifted

  • 1 cup Maine Grains Spelt Flour

  • 1/2 cup Maine Stout Moderation’s Stout in recipe

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder add more to dust cake pan

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup butter at room temp, more for cake pan prep

  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 cup milk whole or 2%

  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

  • Cream Cheese Frosting recipe not included

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Butter and dust with cocoa powder two 9″ cake pans
  • Sift flours into a bowl. In a measuring cup, whisk together the beer, cocoa powder and vanilla.
  • In a stand mixer bowl beat the butter, sugar, baking soda and salt till fluffy – about 2 minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beat well between each.
  • Add the beer mixture, beat until well combined.
  • In the same measuring cup combine the milk and vinegar.
  • After a minute, the milk will thicken to, roughly, the texture of buttermilk.
  • Alternating between the flour and milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, add both a bit at a time while the mixer is running at low speed.
  • Run the machine till the batter is just combined – taking care not to over-beat.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
  • Allow layers to cool before frosting.
  • Frost with your choice, a cream cheese frosting is suggested.

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