Beer Spice Cake + Brown Butter Glaze

What do you do when you are in a funk? I find that there a few things I do.

I cheer myself up by wearing my most favorite high-healed clogs that make boring outfits look hip.

Walking Elliot always helps. In those minutes we are outside and he’s prancy-walking and I’m girly-walking, things are good.

Putting beer in cake and browning butter for a glaze helps too. My day got a lot better once this was in the oven. I could feel ok about life.

This cake tastes like fall with a magical combo of spices. It’d be fun to have as dessert and equally nice for breakfast.

Beer Spice Cake
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground allspice
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 cup beer
• pecans for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with beer until completely mixed together.
4. Pour into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pretty, dreamy, eh?

Brown Butter Glaze
Recipe adapted in half from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 4 T unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1-2 T milk

Directions:

1. Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Carefully pour into a heat-proof bowl, leaving most of the sediment behind.
2. Add sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk to butter and stir until smooth. If glaze is too thick add a bit more milk. Drizzle over your beer spice cake.

tasty beer spice cake + chippy green nail polish