Do you keep beer bottles in your fridge? The Odd Fork surely does, as it is a big beer lover! So when it doesn't drink all the beers -a thing that rarely happens- it cooks with beer! Today, the Odd Fork used a Greek beer with a sweet, caramel character and the result was a fantastic beer cake. Oh, it is vegan as well!

For a medium cake like the one above:

- 200 gr. dates

- a bottle of beer (bock, stout or a Belgian dark ale)

- 3/4 cup molasses

- 3/4 cup white sugar

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil

- 1 & 1/2 tsp mix of: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger (all ground and in powder)

- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

- self-rising flour (use by hand, as much is needed)

Start by soaking the dates in beer for 3 hours minimum. Drain the dates, chop them and remove the seeds. Keep the beer! In a large bowl pour the date-flavored beer and add sugar, oil, molasses and spices, whisking until all are combined in a unified mixture. Add flour to get a smooth sticky batter, a little thinner than cookie dough.

Add dates and walnuts last mixing softly, to incorporate them into the batter. Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven, air setting, at 350C for for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let it cool for 30 - 40 minutes before cutting. It is lovely with coffee in the morning or -of course- with beer in the evening! Desserts with beer are yet to come on the Odd's Fork blog, so stay tuned!