Root Beer Mug Cake Filled with Vanilla Ice Cream Ganache

Surprise friends and family when you serve them what looks like a mug of rootbeer, but is actually a Root Beer Mug Cake filled with Vanilla Ice Cream Ganache and Whipped Cream.

Not only do these look like a frosty mug of root beer, they taste like it too.The cake is made with real root beer and the modeling chocolate which is wrapped around the cake is flavored with root beer syrup. Each cake is even filled with some luscious vanilla ice cream ganache to make it more like a root beer float.

The inspiration for these came the day I was making some Beer Mug Cakes for Tablespon.com back in March. I wanted to make something similar yet kid friendly and figured a root beer mug was perfect, and hey, it only took me six months to finally get around to making them.

I’ve always loved the flavor of root beer and there are always root beer flavored candies in our candy dish. Even though I quite drinking soda many years ago, I will admit to taking a few swigs of root beer every now and then at a party.

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Whenever we have parties, I always buy root beer because many of my family members like it, including my husband. When there’s some left in the bottle, he always asks me to make him a root beer float. There’s actually a bottle in our refrigerator right now, and a carton of vanilla ice cream just waiting for me to put the two together.

There is something about the combination of root beer and vanilla ice cream that is almost magical. I always love watching the ice cream hit the root beer then seeing all the foam rise up and over the sides of the mug. I tried to recreate that effect here with my cakes.

Root Beer Mug Cakes filled with Vanilla Ice Cream Ganache

Ingredients: (makes 10 cakes)

Root beer cake:
1 vanilla cake mix
root beer ( use this in place of the water called for on the package)
eggs and oil (called for on the package)
2 tablespoons A&W Root Beer Dessert Topper

Vanilla Ice Cream Ganache:
8 ounces white chocolate
1/3 – 2/3 cup vanilla ice cream*

*Every brand of ice cream will have different amounts of air whipped into it and you’ll need 1/3 cup of melted ice cream.

Modeling Chocolate Cake Wrappers:
24 ounces white confectionery coating (candy melts)
3/4 cup A&W Root Beer Dessert Topper (you may need a bit more)

White Modeling Chocolate Handles:
4-6 ounces white modeling chocolate

Foam:
1 (8 ounce tub) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Supplies Needed:

10 half-pint mason jars
baking sheet

Instructions:

Before you do anything, grab some non-stick cooking spray, preferably the kind with flour, and give each of your half-pint mason jars a really good spray. Do not skip this step. The cakes wont come out in one piece.

Once you get the jars sprayed make your cake mix, swapping out root beer for the water called for on the package and adding the 2 tablespoons of A&W dessert topper.

Equally divide the batter among the 10 Mason jars. Place all the jars on a baking sheet and stick them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the jars upside down, allowing the cakes to fall out. If they stick, run a knife around the edges to help them out. Allow them cool completely.

Meanwhile, make some vanilla ice cream ganache.
Pour the ice cream into a microwave safe measuring cup.
Heat the ice cream in the microwave just until it melts. Remove all but 1/3 cup then pour in the white candy melts.
Place the bowl back in the microwave and heat on high for 20 seconds.
Allow the bowl to sit in the microwave for about 2 min.
Remove it from the microwave and stir. If the chocolate isn’t all melted return to the microwave and heat for 10-15 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
Allow the vanilla ice cream ganache to sit at room temperature until you’re ready to use it.

You want all of your root beer mugs to be the same size, so cut each cake to be 3 inches tall.
Use a cupcake plunger/corer, apple corer, or a knife to remove some of the center of each cupcake.
- I used a cupcake plunger first then used a knife to cut out some more from each cake.

Pour some of the ganache into each cake, filling the hole completely.

To Make Root Beer Modeling Chocolate:

Melt 24 ounces of the white confectionery coating/candy melts in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- If using the microwave, heat on high for 25 seconds, then stir. Heat for 20 seconds, then stir vigorously. Heat for 15 seconds then stir vigorously. If needed, heat for 10 second increments, stirring after each until melted.
Allow the chocolate to cool to about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring often.
- If you add the Root Beer Float syrup when the candy coating is too hot, the oil will rise to the surface and you will have a greasy mess (if this happens, read this troubleshooting tutorial.)
- If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature of the melted candy coating by putting a drop on your lip. It should feel cool. If it’s hot, let it cool longer, stirring often to make sure the candy coating at the edges of the bowl does not harden. If you allow it to get too cool, warm it back up to 91 degrees, or you may end up with chunks in your modeling chocolate.
Pour in the A&W Root Beer Float Dessert Topper.
Stir until well incorporated.
- The mixture will become thick very quickly, so scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the melted chocolate.
Pour the modeling chocolate out onto the counter and knead it just until everything comes together.
- If the modeling chocolate feels dry, knead in some more Root Beer Dessert Topper a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.
Wrap it in plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
When you are ready to use it, knead it until glossy and smooth.
- My hands tend to be rather warm, so I use a plastic bench scraper to help me knead the modeling chocolate, so that I don’t over heat it as this can bring out the oils in the chocolate. If you have any issues while making this be sure to check out my troubleshooting tips on my chocolate making tips page.

Roll out the root beer modeling chocolate on a non-stick baking mat (or on a cutting board lightly dusted with powdered sugar or cornstarch) to about 3/8 inch thickness.
- I love using a non-stick silicone mat and a fondant roller. It works great.Cut ten rectangles that are 3 1/4 inches wide by about 8 inches long.
Use a wooden dowel or straw to press indentations about 3/4 inch apart all across the brown strip.
- Leave about a 1/2 border all along one edge. That will become the bottom of your root beer mug.

Flip the modeling chocolate rectangles over and spread on a thin layer of vanilla ganache, leaving 1/2 inch border all around.
Then wrap that, ganache side against the cake, around a cake, cutting off excess modeling chocolate so the two seams match up. Rub some water along both ends and press the two seams together.
- You can also use melted white chocolate to seal the seam.
Let the wrapped cakes sit for about 30 minutes, then spoon some vanilla ice cream ganache over the cakes.

NOTE: The cake pictured above is a bit overfilled. I ended up scooping some out. The ones pictured below are perfect.

Pinch off pieces of the white modeling chocolate, roll into logs and bend to form handles.
Allow the handles to dry for at least 15 minutes, then use some clear piping gel, water, or melted white chocolate to attach the handles to the mugs.
- If using water, just get your finger wet and rub it on the ends of the handle to make the modeling chocolate sticky, then attach it to the mug.
- NOTES: I found it best to set something under the handle until it dried.
Just before serving, spoon whipped topping over the cakes, allowing some to drip down the sides.

Do NOT store in an airtight container or the refrigerator, as the modeling chocolate will get sticky. I suggest just putting them in a cardboard cake box for up to 2 days.

Items used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)

More Modeling Chocolate

Wrapped Cupcakes