Root Beer Float Cakes
These cute and tasty root beer cakes make portable desserts in jars. Root Beer Float Cakes are a festive way to celebrate summer, or any season!
Everyone needs a little something like this every now and again… For no particular reason.
Giving a sweet to your sweeties lifts the spirits.
And who doesn’t love a root beer float?
Or desserts in jars for that matter.
I made these sweet little root beer cakes as a surprise for my babies (8 and 10.)
They came home from camp, hot and disheveled, to cool creamy root beer float cakes, individually packaged, just for them!
Words were unnecessary, they knew they were missed.
Desserts in jars make fabulous edible gifts, picnic items, and birthday party treats.
I often make little portable treats this way, then screw on the lids and store them until just the right moment.
A special occasion, perhaps.
Like today.
Or last night.
Or tomorrow morning.
Really any occasion calls for the essence of a sweet creamy root beer float.
And when you pull these root beer cakes out, any ordinary moment turns special, just like that!
The root beer cakes alone, are ultra tender with dark sassafras tones, from the combination of molasses, cocoa, and root beer.
The fine moist texture is based on super-fine Gold Medal Flour with just the right amount of moisture. I’m a big fan of Gold Medal Flour because they are so particular about the wheat they use and their milling process. It’s always consistent.
These root beer cakes are superb on their own, yet add the ice cream and extra root beer to ooze down and saturate the cake and you have something utterly irresistible.
Desserts in jars with intense nostalgic root beer float flavor!
Root Beer Float Cakes
Ingredients
For the Root Beer Cakes:
- 1 3/4 cup Gold Medal All Purpose Flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 12 ounces root beer
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
For the Root Beer Float Cakes:
- 3 bottles root beer
- 1 quart California-made vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 glass half-pint jars on a rimmed baking sheet. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk in all the liquid ingredients until smooth.
- Use a scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the 12 jars. Pour in the center, so the batter doesn't run down the sides. Carefully place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Once cool, screw the lids on the jars to store.
- To serve, place one heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top of each cake. Pour a scant amount of root beer over the ice cream so it fizzes up. Serve with a spoon!
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. All opinions are my own.
What size mason jars did you use and how many did the recipe make?
These look delish!
Hey Jennifer, it’s in the recipe. 12 – half pint jars. :)
Thanks!! Making these soon!!
These are totally amazing, Sommer! So darn cute and creative!
stop it! how cute are these!!!! Obsessed to say the least
You are like the most brilliant girl I know…yep you are. Miss you!
Holy moly yes please!
My kids will flip for these Sommer. Awesome recipe!
Crazy awesome! Love it, Sommer!
These are so much fun Sommer!! Love them :)
I love that these are in mason jars! I’ve done a root beer cake float before but I usually just cut the cake into squares and layer it with the ice cream in big glasses. This would cut out that step entirely! Perfect!
You are too cute. This is a great idea and perfect for a summer party!
Mmmmmm. Such a fun summer float!
I discovered Burbon Root Beer a few weeks ago and lawwdeee I’m thinking that would be PERFECT in this!
A cake root beer float is such a great idea!
Awesome! I must make these for Little Buddy – he will FLIP!!!
Such a fun idea!! I love that you baked the cake in the jars and then just plopped the ice cream right on top. Such a genius and super cute summer treat!
Not only are these super fun looking, but I can only imagine how incredible they taste!
What a fun way to enjoy cake AND root beer!
These are such a sweet treat for summer! Beat the heat with cake and root beer, love!