Recipe: Root Beer Bundt Cake

I recently recieved a heads up on a sweet recipe (via www.projectfoodie.com) from a co-worker who loves to bake as much as I do. And me thinks this Root Beer Bundt Cake would make a killer dessert on Super Bowl Sunday when our dear Arizona Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Root Beer Bundt Cake
(Recipe from “Baked: New Frontiers in Baking” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafit)
Yield: 1 (10-inch) bundt cake
For the bundt cake:
2 C Root beer (do not use diet root beer) Note: If you can find root beer schnapps, replace ½ cup of the root beer in the cake with root beer schnapps for a more pronounced flavor.
1 C Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
½ C (1 stick) Unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1¼ C Granulated sugar
½ C Firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 C All-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 Large eggs
For the root beer-fudge frosting:
2 ounces Dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
½ C (1 stick) Unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. Salt
¼ C Root beer
2/3 C Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ C Confectioners’ sugar
Cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out excess flour. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into a cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy–do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.
Frosting:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.