I used to like beer. Really, I did. I even went to Oktoberfest in 2007. But it only takes 1 time to go a little overboard with the beer and you wind up on an overnight train to Amsterdam with no recollection of purchasing tickets and pictures in your camera of your friend wielding a crossbow you get really sick and then for the next 6 years, just the smell of beer makes you nauseas. I'm sure that happens to a lot of people. Now, if I'm to imbibe, I just stick to wine.
In recent months, though, I've become capable of smelling beer without being overcome with bad memories feeling ill and I've actually started to like cooking with it. Particularly, I've been very interested in the pairing of stout with chocolate. Just like when you add espresso to a chocolate recipe, stout also adds a deeper, more intense flavor. It's a flavor profile I've really warmed up to recently.
That's where these adorable little bundt cakes come in. Why bundt? Because the pan was on sale and also, look how cute they are! Cupcakes or even a larger sized bundt cake would totally work as well.
The stout makes these ordinary chocolate cakes into deep, dark, insanely rich, 3-to-4-bite bundles of joy. They're sweet but intense. When you take your first bite, you start to think that perhaps you've gone a little too far in the chocolate department and you don't know if you can handle it...
But then the light maple cream glaze hits your tongue and instantly balances it all out. Then you want another bite. And then another cake. And another. These chocolate stout bundt cakes were so good that I had to set a few aside for us to have for dessert later on and give the rest to my neighbors. I can't be alone with these in the house.
They were so good that I was convinced that I may actually like beer again. Until I took a sip and promptly spit it in the sink. Beer is not for me. Chocolate stout cakes? That's a whole other story.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Ener-G Egg replacer
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan stout beer
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered xylitol (or powdered sugar)
- 1 tablespoon nondairy milk or creamer
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple extract (or almond/vanilla extract)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Gently pour the stout into a medium bowl. Add the remaining wet ingredients and gently stir together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Let rest for about 20 minutes.
- While the bater is resting, preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan or muffin tin (or line a muffin tin with liners).
- Once the batter has rested, spoon the batter (it will be thick and airy) into the prepare wells of the bundt pan or muffin tin, only filling each about 3/4 of the way. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack. If you have leftover batter, regrease the pan and add the remaining batter to the wells of the cake pan/muffin tin and repeat.
- While the cakes are cooling, you can make the glaze by whisking together the powdered xylitol (or powdered sugar), nondairy milk, maple syrup, maple extract (if you're using it), and the salt.
- Once the cakes are cooled, place a baking sheet underneath the cooling rack and drizzle the glaze onto each cake. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Maple extract is a really nice touch for this glaze but be sure to find a vegan brand (I used Frontier). If you don't have maple extract, vanilla or almond extract would also work. For a vegan stout beer, I used Lagunitas Imperial Stout.
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Do you like to cook with beer? What do you make with it?
Photography by Chris Miller
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}
These are super cute Kristy! I don't drink beer either but these bundt cakes look delicious.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
I cannot handle dark beer but I would gladly take these instead! My 'can't handle it' for a while was whiskey, too much ambition and a full bottle of whiskey is alllll bad news!
Cadry
Ah, now it all makes sense! When we were at Tony's, Chris asked if you wanted a beer. I could sense the hesitation in your voice when you answered. I've never been a huge beer fan, but it's something that for me hits the spot with the right kind of meal. I know what you mean, though, about a bad experience ruining all that! Let's just say I never order Lemon Drops.
These little cakes look so adorably delicious. I can imagine the beer adding a wonderful element with the chocolate. Now I REALLY wish that I was your neighbor! 🙂
The Vegan Cookie Fairy
I agree those little moulds look adorable! I have a bundt pan but it's very plain and begging to be replaced by a much swankier one... and the kitchen wishlist just keep growing! 😛
Plus chocolate + stout = heaven in a cake. Yum.
AY
These look delicious! And I totally get what you're saying--I hate the taste and even the smell of beer. But my husband occasionally cooks with stout and it adds incredible flavor to savory, hearty foods (like his veggie chili). Drinking beer = yuck. Cooking with beer = yum!
Audrey
These look scrumptious! Chocolate and stout is a delicious combination. I don't mind drinking certain beers but I can't stomach rum anymore.
Kelli
These look great ~ so totally cute! I could use some chocolate with maple glaze in my life 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
I've had some pretty negative experiences with most alcohol, but somehow I'm able to drink all of them still, much to my liver's detriment. My favourite is wine though and in second place, stout!
These are the most adorable cakes ever Kristy!
Caitlin
i've always been intrigued by this combination and the cakes looks delicious!
Michelle
These look great..... I've had this experience with orange wine coolers just the look made me nauseous.... Let's hope this never happens with vodka. .. Stout and chocolate Yum... And i dont like beer never did... But these I could do
Robyn B | Modern Day Missus
Oh they look delicious and I love the bits crossed out... ahh memories.... and crossbows...
Cj
OMG - These are awesome - Would love to see these submitted at FoodFotoGallery.com so I can share with all my foodie friends 🙂
Heather
Love beer and chocolate- these are so adorable and I absolutely love the mini bundt tins, so cute....oh man I do not miss the days of looking back on my camera after a night of a bot too much fun , saying to myself oh man what in the world did I do.....it makes me feel grown up 🙂