Kylee’s Kitchen: Baking with beer for National Beer Day

People around the country will crack open a cold one for National Beer Day on April 7. But if you’re someone who prefers wine or liquor, you can still toast to National Beer Day — just bake instead!

Kylee Scales is making an orange cardamom beer cake in Kylee’s Kitchen. According to Kylee, baking with beer results in a more tender crumb and imparts flavor. Beer is also a natural leavening agent. The more you know!

Orange cardamom beer cake

Yield: One 8 1/2″ loaf cake

Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients for the cake

• 240 grams (2 cups) cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 117 grams (1/2 cup) beer
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) orange juice
• 248 grams (1 1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• Zest from 1 orange
• 113 grams (8 Tablespoons) Challenge unsalted butter, room temperature
• 100 grams (2 large) eggs
• 28 grams (2 large) egg yolks

Ingredients for the glaze 

• 227 grams (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar,  sifted
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) beer
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) orange juice

Directions for the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Grease 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom together. Set aside.
4. Combine beer and orange juice. Set aside.
5. In large mixing bowl, mix together sugar and orange zest for about 30 seconds or until orange zest is fragrant. 
6. Add butter and cream at high speed until mixture appears light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, making sure batter absorbs each egg before adding another.
8. Scrape down bowl and add half of dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Then add half of beer/orange juice mixture. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Mix on low speed until batter is just combined.
9. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until cake pulls away from edges and registers around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Remove from oven and let cool for at least an hour before icing.

Directions for the glaze

1. Add beer to powdered sugar and mix. Then add orange juice and mix until smooth. Icing should be thick, but still pourable.
2. Remove cake from loaf pan and drizzle top with icing.
3. Wait for icing to set before cutting and serving cake.