Underdog Lager and Lime Cake
Cake and beer. Two of the great enjoyments in life but rarely used together in baking; until now! In the first lock-down we all became home-bakers, and this lime cake recipe allows you to rekindle those skills. It’s so, so easy and you’ll love how the subtle hoppy flavours come out in this cake plus lager and lime just works so well together. This is the last of our #FoodLoveHope recipes so we hope you enjoyed them!
For the cake:
3 large eggs
196g castor sugar
196g real butter – not margarine
220g self raising flour
200ml Underdog Lager
For the buttercream:
500g icing sugar
150g butter
30ml Underdog Lager
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Tip: Weigh the eggs in their shells and whatever the weight is weigh out the same for the castor sugar and butter i.e. three eggs weigh 196 grams so you’ll need 196 grams of castor sugar and 196 grams of butter. We use a little extra flour to soak up the other ingredients and to avoid a soggy bottom on the cake! Use a hand mixer or a bowl and wooden spoon if you don’t have a stand mixer
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees for a fan oven or 200 degrees non-fan oven. Grease two 7” baking tins and line with grease proof paper.
Add the sugar and butter into the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on a low speed for 5 minutes until it’s a pale fluffy consistency. Add the eggs and whisk for seven minutes until the mixture doubles in size, almost meringue -esque in consistency.
Add the flour and continue to mix on a low speed for another 5 minutes before adding the Underdog to the batter. Increase the speed and mix for another 5 minutes. Divide the mixtures evenly between the two baking tins and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
While the cake layers are baking in the oven make the buttercream. Add the icing sugar and butter into a bowl and mix for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and start mixing again before gradually adding the Underdog lager and set aside.
To ensure the cake bases are baked though, stick a cocktail stick into the centre of one of the cake layers and if it comes out clean, with no cake residue, your cakes are done. If there is some cake mixture on the stick leave in the oven for another few minutes and test again.
Once the cake layers are done take them out of the baking tins and leave to cool fully on a cooling rack. It is important they are fully cooled otherwise the buttercream will slide off the cakes.
Spread half of the buttercream mixture on the first cake layer, avoiding spreading it close to the edges so when you place the second cake layer it doesn’t squirt out at the edges. Place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining buttercream evenly around the top. Decorate with the lime zest.
