Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake

5 from 1 vote

The malty tang of stout mingles with robust molasses in this unmistakably bold gingerbread Bundt cake. It's the perfect easy and showstopping Christmas cake for any holiday gathering!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $0.58 per serving not including glazes or cranberries

Equipment

12-cup capacity Bundt cake pan
stand mixer or electric handheld mixer
large mixing bowl
small mixing bowl
wire whisk

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake

¼ cup unsalted butter
1 cup stout poured, measured, and allowed to stand for 20 to 30 minutes
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ cups brown sugar light or dark
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs room temperature
1 cup molasses

For the Stout Glaze (Option 1)

2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2-3 tablespoons stout poured, measured, and allowed to stand for 20-30 minutes

For the Beer Caramel Glaze (Option 2)

1 12-ounce bottle regular beer not stout
6 whole cardamom pods
orange zest strips from 1 small orange
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ cups dark or light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
fine sea salt

For the Sugared Cranberries (Optional)

1 12-ounce bag fresh whole cranberries
½ cup confectioners' sugar plus more to coat as needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Gingerbread Stout Bundt Cake

Pour and measure stout and allow to stand 30 minutes for the foam to subside before incorporating into the batter.
Melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Allow the butter to first foam, then the solids to begin to brown slightly, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cool the butter slightly. Use a pastry brush to paint butter into every nook and cranny of a 12-cup Bundt pan. Place Bundt into refrigerator, as temperature will solidify the butter exactly where you brushed it.
In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sea salt. Whisk together until combined. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs whisking until just incorporated. Scrape the wet ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the molasses and mix on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the stout and mix on low for 2 minutes. Keep the speed on low, as mixing on a higher speed will cause the stout to foam.
Add the previously mixed flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix until just combined paying special attention not to over mix.
Remove prepared Bundt pan from refrigeration and set it on the counter to come back to room temperature slightly. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pour batter into the pan. Give it a shimmy and a shake to ensure the batter settles into all of the crevices, especially if you are using a cake form that has lots of detailed ridges.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake pulls clean or with only minimal moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes before performing a cake release atop the cooling rack by inverting the rack and the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely, at least 3 hours. (If making ahead, place the cooled cake on a cake platter and wrap the cake closely with plastic film. The longer the cake sits wrapped, the more the flavors intensify.)
When ready to glaze, select from the glazes below or choose one of your own. If you prefer to omit glaze and garnish instead with sugared cranberries, simply dust the cake with powdered sugar right before serving.

Glaze Option 1: Stout Glaze

Pour and measure stout and allow to stand 30 minutes to allow for foam to subside.
Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add the ground cinnamon and cloves. Whisk in the stout until the mixture reaches a fine and smooth consistency. Slowly drizzle the glaze over the Bundt and allow a few minutes for the drizzle to 'set.'

Glaze Option 2: Beer Caramel Glaze

Pour the beer into a saucepan and allow to stand for 30 minutes before heating to allow for foam to subside.
Add the cardamom pods, and zested strips of orange peel to the saucepan with the beer. Bring all to a gentle boil over medium heat cooking and stirring until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. The mixture should be viscous enough to where it barely coats the back of a spoon.
Add the butter and brown sugar and cook, stirring only if the mixture looks like it might boil over, until syrupy, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until thick, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and whisk in vanilla and sea salt. Remove the cardamom and orange zest with a spoon. Let the caramel cool slightly before slowly drizzling over the top of the cake.

Making the Sugared Cranberries

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Thoroughly wash cranberries under cold water removing all bruised/damaged berries. Shake excess water off and load the berries into a plastic bag. Add enough confectioners' sugar beginning with ½ cup to thoroughly coat the berries when shaken. Add additional confectioners' sugar as needed.
Turn the sugared cranberries out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and set directly atop a wire rack. Allow cranberries to cool completely on the sheet. Garnish edges and base of Bundt cake.

Notes

If you only have a 10-cup Bundt pan, consider baking a single small mini loaf of this cake in addition to the cake itself. Remove 3 cups of batter to a 6¼" x 2⅛" x 2" disposable paper loaf pan and bake it alongside the cake. Begin testing for doneness after 20 minutes by inserting a cake tester or wooden pick into the center of the cake loaf. The tester should pull clean or with minimal moist crumbs.
Gingerbread intensifies over time. Fresh out of the oven and cooled slightly, it's light and cakey. I recommend doing things differently. Bake this delicious cake one full day ahead of serving, cool it completely, then wrap it close with plastic wrap. The crumb becomes delightfully moist, and it's flavorfully impressive!
Store leftover cake under plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter if using the stout glaze or powdered sugar topping. If using the beer caramel glaze, cover and refrigerate.
Store excess sugared cranberries in an airtight container at room temperature up 3 days. Or set them out in a pretty serving bowl like candy and watch them disappear.

Nutrition