Beer Mug Cake

4.89 from 27 ratings

This beer mug cake is perfect for anyone who loves beer!! It's decorated to look like a frosty mug of beer and the recipe actually uses a bit of beer!

Prep Time30

Cook Time32

Additional Time30

Total Time1 32

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 557kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Beer Cake Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
3 cups granulated sugar 600g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 235g
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 240g
1/2 cup your favorite beer, room temperature 120g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 30g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
Yellow and brown gel food coloring if desired

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 452g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
7 cups powdered sugar 875g
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g
Yellow and brown gel food coloring

Additional Decorations

1 cup white gum paste
2 toothpicks

Instructions

Beer Handle Decoration:

Make the beer handle first so that it has time to dry! It needs at least a few hours to dry, and I like to make it the night before just to be safe. To accelerate the drying process, use either white gum paste or fondant with tylose powder.
Shape the handle to be about 5 inches tall and insert toothpicks into the tips of the handle. Set aside to fully firm up overnight.

Beer Cake Layers:

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line six, 6" cake pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick baking spray or homemade cake pan release. If you don't have 6 cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers at a time as you can.
Mix 3 cups all purpose flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
Mix in 1 cup of room temperature, unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in 1 cup of buttermilk and 1/2 cup of beer on a low speed.
Add in 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and 2 tsp of vanilla extract and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. If you plan to color your cake layers, add in the brown and yellow gel food coloring with the oil and vanilla.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for about a minute to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers a bit.
Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. I like to use a scale to make sure each pan has the same amount of batter and will bake up to be the same height.
Bake for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place the cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers.
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers right before you plan to assemble your cake, or you can wrap and freeze them if you're making them in advance.
If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 20 minutes before making your cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble your cake.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the vanilla buttercream frosting.
Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Mix in 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream halfway through to make the frosting easier to mix.
Continue to mix on a low speed for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
Place two cups of white buttercream into a large piping bag and cut a small opening (about 1 cm wide). Set aside.
Color the remaining buttercream a tan color using a couple drops of yellow gel food coloring and a tiny drop of brown gel food coloring. Start off with a tiny bit of food coloring, then add more as needed until the color looks right.

Assembling This Beer Mug Cake:

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Add a thick, even layer of tan buttercream between each cake layer. Once the layers are stacked, add a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers. This will trap those pesky crumbs so that our final coat of buttercream looks amazing!
If the layers seem to be sliding around a bit while you cover the cake with frosting, insert a wooden dowel through the center of the cake for stability.
Smooth the crumb coat using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Then it's time for our second, thicker layer of frosting. Pipe a line of white buttercream around the base of the cake, then cover the rest of the cake with the tan buttercream. Smooth using a bench scraper. I also like to use the bench scraper to make vertical lines up the cake to look like the indentations on a beer mug.
Pipe some foam on top of the cake with the remaining white buttercream. Add a bit of buttercream foam down the side of the cake too to look like it's overflowing.
The last step is to press the beer mug handle into the side of the cake. Then enjoy!

Video

Notes

One batch of cake batter makes about 1800 grams. If you plan to use six circular cake pans, add 300 grams of batter into each pan.

Tips for Making the Best Beer Mug Cake

Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
Bang your cake pans on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any big air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!

Making This Beer Mug Layer Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

Make the cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make the frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

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