Root Beer in Desserts: Try the Pie and a Simple Cake Recipe

Root beer is a sweet, carbonated beverage that is made from the root of the sassafras tree. The beverage has a mix of vanilla, licorice, and other earthy spices which give it a complex and delicious flavor. The mixture is sweetened with sugar or molasses and fermented with yeast to produce carbonation. It’s been a popular drink in North America, especially among the indigenous people, who brewed it with different roots, herbs, and barks for primarily medicinal purposes. Eventually European settlers adopted this drink and added their own twist to the recipe, eventually making it a popular drink. Root beer was commercialized in the 19th century as a healthy alternative to alcoholic beverages. When bottling plants and soda fountains became widely available, root beer was able to reach a wider customer base. Different brands brought their own unique blend of flavors and ingredients too. Modern commercial root beer, however, often relies on artificial flavoring and carbonation methods because they are economical and convenient.

If you’ve ever wondered how root beer is produced, here’s a simplified version of the process:

• First comes a base of water, sugar, and root beer flavorings like sassafras, wintergreen, licorice, and vanilla.
• The mixture is boiled to extract maximum flavors from the ingredients and to help dissolve the sugar.
• The mixture is then cooled and filtered to remove any solids.
• Next comes carbonation which is either done through natural fermentation by using yeast or by adding carbon dioxide.
• The final product is bottled in sterilized bottles to ensure purity, freshness, and a long shelf life.

Root beer can be consumed as a drink, but you can also add it to desserts for a punch of flavor. Here are some recipes that you can refer to:

Root Beer Float Pie

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

• 126 g graham crackers
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 tbsp melted, unsalted butter

For the pie filling:

• 66 g + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 32 g cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 240 ml milk
• 354 ml root beer
• 132 g chopped white chocolate
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 238 g whipped cream
• Maraschino cherries and chocolate sprinkles for topping

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 190 C.
• Create the graham cracker crumbs in a food processor, then add granulated sugar, salt, and melted butter. You should get a texture of wet sand.
• Press the crumbs into a 9 inch pie tin by creating an even coating. The sides should also be covered.
• Bake the crust in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until it turns golden.
• Refrigerate the graham cracker crust in the oven for around 30 minutes.
• To make the filling, mix 66 grams of sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Then add egg yolks, root beer, and milk to this.
• Keep whisking as you place it on medium high heat and watch it come to a boil.
• Cook the mixture for about 2 to 3 minutes or until it becomes thick like a custard.
• After this, remove the pan from heat and add the chopped white chocolate.
• Mix well and once the chocolate has melted well, add butter.
• Pour this filling into the cooled graham cracker crust. Let it chill for about 2 hours.
• Whip the cream, ensure that it’s cold, with 2 tablespoons of sugar until you get stiff peaks.
• Ladle it over the root beer pie using a large spoon or spatula. You can also add this layer using a piping bag.
• Decorate with maraschino cherries and chocolate sprinkles before serving.

Instant Root Beer Cake

Ingredients:

• 432 g yellow cake box mix
• 355 ml root beer
• 60 ml vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 60 g confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C and grease a Bundt cake pan with some melted butter or oil.
• Set aside 118 ml of root beer aside, then combine the cake mix, rest of the root beer vegetable oil, and eggs together.
• Mix 118 ml of root beer with the confectioners’ sugar well and set it aside to cool in the fridge. Ensure that the sugar is completely incorporated in the liquid.
• Bake the cake in the oven according to the package instructions. Usually it should take you about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Once the cake is done, let it cool for 15 minutes.
• Then poke holes on the surface of the cake using a skewer.
• Pour the root beer and sugar mixture into the holes and let the cake rest and completely soak in the liquid.
• Sprinkle it with some more confectioners’ sugar before serving.