Chocolate Beer Cake (Triple Infused!)

Move over boring chocolate cake – there’s a new sheriff in town! This easy chocolate beer cake is baked with beer in the batter, drenched with beer syrup, and then topped with delicious beer infused chocolate whipped cream.

The end result is an incredibly moist and delicious cake that is perfect for chocolate and beer lovers everywhere. It’s sure to be the star at your game day party, beer themed birthdays, Father’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Why We Love this Chocolate Beer Poke Cake

• With a doctored box cake mix, and beer syrup infused after baking, This cake is ridiculously moist.
• This simple chocolate sheet cake doesn’t require any layering or measuring between multiple pans, which means it’s so easy to make.
• The combination of beer and chocolate is a match made in heaven, for a flavorful twist that you’ll want to come back to over and over again.

How to Make the Chocolate Beer Poke Cake (Step-by-Step Directions):

To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. This provides helpful feedback for me and to other readers. And if you want more fun party ideas, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Make the Cake

Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Prepare a 13×9 inch sheet pan with a layer of parchment paper. Place a metal bowl and balloon whisk in the refrigerator for the whipped cream frosting.

In a large mixing bowl, combine devil’s food cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, vegetable oil, dark beer, eggs, and sour cream.

Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the cake mix into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes.

Use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the cake.

Brush beer syrup over the top of the cake, pushing the syrup into the holes as much as possible. Set aside to finish cooling.

If you wish, you can use the parchment paper to remove the cake from the pan. Set aside to finish cooling.

Chocolate Beer Whipped Cream Frosting

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1.25 cups powdered sugar, and a pinch of cream of tartar. Set aside.

Remove your chilled bowl and balloon whisk from the refrigerator. Add 1.5 cups heavy cream and 1/3 of the cocoa powder mixture to your chilled bowl.

Use your chilled mixer whisk to whisk at medium speed to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to the heavy cream mixture until all are combined.

Add 2 tablespoons beer syrup to the heavy cream mixture. Whisk on high until at least double in volume, about 2-4 minutes.

When your cake is completely cooled, use an offset spatula to spread a generous layer of chocolate whipped cream frosting on top.

Essential Tips:

Don’t skip these tips – read them before baking to avoid any potential mistakes.

How to Choose the Right Beer

Dark beers like Guinness, stout, and porter work well in this recipe. But don’t hesitate to use other beers as well.

We especially enjoy making this cake with citrus infused beers, like Allagash Belgian Style White Wheat.

Don’t overmix the batter

Make sure you just mix the batter until everything is combined and creamy. Mixing it too much will create a dense cake that falls apart when you eat it instead of the soft, moist cake this should be.

Add a crumb coat of frosting

This cake is so moist, that frosting can easily make it fall apart. Add a thin crumb coat of frosting to the top to help keep the cake intact.

FAQs:

Is the beer taste overwhelming?

Not at all! The beer adds moisture to the cake, and adds a subtle flavor that perfectly compliments the chocolate cake.

How much alcohol is in this cake?

Most of the alcohol will cook out of the beer during baking. However, there will likely be a scant amount of alcohol remaining.

How do I make beer syrup?

Beer syrup is a simple syrup made by heating your favorite beer with sugar until it reduces by about half.

There are beer syrups that can be purchased, but we’ve been making our own for years using this beer syrup recipe. (I also include plenty of tips to help make sure yours comes out just right.)

Why is there such a wide range of baking times?

A lot will depend on what type of pan you use, and how hot your oven truly is. Check your cake at 25 minutes, and if it’s not yet done, check again every five minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Can this be made as a bundt cake?

Yes! We prefer the simplicity of a sheet cake, but we did successfully test a bundt cake for this recipe.

Baking it as a bundt cake will significantly increase the bake time, so it’s important to account for the extra time. I also recommend that you butter and flour your bundt cake pan very well, and remove the cake from the pan before poking and adding the beer syrup.

Storage Tips/Freezing, Etc.

This cake is best on the day it is prepared, but the frosted cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If you want to freeze the cake: After it is completely cool, and before adding the syrup, wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer for up to one month.

Defrost at room temperature for 24 hours, then add the syrup and frosting as directed above.

If you liked my Chocolate Beer Cake, you’re going to love my beer brownies with a pretzel crust. They’re delicious brownie bites that are perfectly chewy, with hints of caramel and just the right amount of crunch.

Or you can check out my other desserts recipes here.

Grab Your Printable Chocolate Beer Cake Recipe Right Here!

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