Lemon Upside IPA Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Beer Frosting

 

Keep things simple AND delicious this holiday season with this easy Frosted Beer Cake that EVERYONE will think you spent hours on! This bright, citrusy cake has the perfect "from-scratch" moistness and density, paired perfectly with a cloud-like, creamy topping. Both frosting and cake impart hints of Upside IPA, complemented by both zingy lemon and buttery cream cheese. It's the perfect holiday treat, and it takes very little time to whip up!

 

 

Cake Ingredients: 

• cooking spray or oil 
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 1 package lemon cake mix
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup Upside IPA (half of the can)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs

Frosting Ingredients:

• 16 oz. ready-to-serve cream cheese frosting (Betty Crocker or comparable brand)
• 16 oz. tub Cool Whip
• Cooked-down Upside IPA (½ cup will simmer off to leave about ¼ cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease two 10-inch cake pans, then dust bottoms and sides with flour. 
2. Pour out 1 cup of Upside IPA (half the can) into a small pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the beer is cooked down half way.  This can be done while preparing the rest of the recipe.
3. Combine cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl. Add the rest of the beer (one cup) and vegetable oil and mix lightly with an electric mixer.
4.  Add 4 eggs and beat at high speed until mixture is thick, creamy, and smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. 
6. While the cake is baking, start in on your icing, beating the frosting on low speed with your cooked-down Upside IPA in a large bowl for 1-2 minutes or until beer is fully blended.
7. Fold Cool Whip into the frosting, one spatula at a time until fully blended or until desired consistency is achieved.
8. Return frosting to the refrigerator, covered, until ready to ice the cake.  Cake should be fully cooled before icing it.
9. Ice one cake on a serving plate, then add the second cake to the top and finish top and sides, or leave the sides bare as we've done in this picture.
10. Grate lemon zest over the top of the cake. Make sure to wash your lemon first and do not grate down to the white of the rind, grate superficially. 
11. Add lemon slices to the top of the cake (purely for decoration) if desired, serve and enjoy!

 

Upside IPA

ORDER ONLINE