For National Strawberry Month — because that is a real thing for May —we’ve teamed up with Jackie Dodd, better known and revered as beer-and-cooking powerhouse The Beeroness, to showcase one of her sunniest of beer-baked creations: strawberry lemonade beer pound cake. In this recipe, Dodd recommends the use of Chuckanut Brewery’s American wheat beer, a golden and light-bodied ale exclusively built on malts from Skagit Valley Malting in addition to some citrusy German hops.
This show-stopping recipe highlights strawberries as they come into season in the Pacific Northwest, then pairs with another tasty beer from the Bellingham, Washington, brewery: the Export Dormunder lager, a honey-colored sip that plays off the sweet, bready flavors of the cake while still offering a cleansing sweep in the finish.
Strawberry Lemonade Beer Pound Cake
Makes 2 loaf cakes
Ingredients for the cake:
1 cup butter
2½ cups sugar
6 eggs
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup full fat sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
¾ cup Chuckanut Brewery American wheat beer
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
Ingredients for the cake infuser:
2 tablespoons very hot water (or beer)
¼ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup beer (or lemon juice)
Directions
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350° F. In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined. While the mixer is running, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom of the bowl between additions. Add the canola oil, sour cream and vanilla extract, beat until well combined.
In a medium bowl sift together both flours, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl mix the lemon juice and beer together. Alternating between the dry ingredients and the beer, slowly add both to the mixer, a little at a time until all ingredients are just combined. Add the strawberries, stir until incorporated.
Grease and flour two large (1.5-quart) loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly between pans. Bake until golden brown and top springs back when lightly touched, about 28–32 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
For the cake infuser, stir together the hot water and ¼ cup sugar until the sugar has dissolved in a small bowl. If the sugar doesn’t dissolve, microwave for 20 seconds. Stir in the lemon juice.
Poke a dozen small holes in each loaf with a long wooden skewer. Drizzle the warm lemon simple syrup infuser over both loafs (you can also brush on with a pastry brush).
Allow to sit in the pans until cooled, about 2 hours. Remove from pans and refrigerate. Stir together all icing ingredients. Pour over cakes, chill until ready to serve.
Special to Sip Northwest, Jackie Dodd (AKA @TheBeeroness) is an award-winning beer and food writer and photographer based in Seattle. Her third book, “LUSH,” is due out later this year.
