A toast to baking: 6 desserts made with iconic beverages

If you're a fan of baking and enjoy exploring creative recipes, then combining your favorite iconic beverages in your dessert preparation could be a game-changer. These drinks can add unique flavors and depth to your baking, resulting in desserts that are truly one-of-a-kind.

1. Beer-infused chocolate cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup stout beer
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 0.75 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 0.67 cups sour cream

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large saucepan, combine the stout beer and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream together. Add the beer-butter mixture to the egg-sour cream mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack.

2. Coffee-infused tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 2 packages ladyfinger cookies
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Steps:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
2. In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Whisk mascarpone into yolk mixture until smooth. In a small dish, combine coffee and rum. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and drizzle with coffee mixture.
3. Arrange half of soaked ladyfingers in bottom of a 7x11 inch dish. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half of whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, until set.

3. Wine-poached pear tart

Ingredients:

• 4 pears
• 1 bottle red wine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 clove
• 1 pre-made tart shell
• 1 cup almond cream

Steps:

1. Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. In a large saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, and clove. Add the pears and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the pears are tender.
2. Remove the pears from the syrup and let them cool. Reduce the syrup by half over medium heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the almond cream over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the pears on top and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tart is golden and the cream has set. Let the tart cool before serving.

4. Tea-infused chai latte cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 chai tea bags
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until it begins to steam. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Let them steep for 10 minutes, then remove the tea bags.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
5. Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Whiskey-infused bread pudding

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed stale bread
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup whiskey
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup raisins

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, soak the bread in the milk for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the whiskey, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour this over the soaked bread and stir in the raisins.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the pudding is set. Let the pudding cool slightly before serving.

6. Tequila-infused margarita cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 cup tequila
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions, but replace the water with an equal amount of tequila.
3. Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter and bake according to the package instructions. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla.
5. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with a twist of lime zest, if desired.