Beach beer cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For decorating

• Light blue, white and brown buttercream or fondant
• Food coloring in beach colors (light blue, white, brown and green)
• Piping bags and tips in different sizes
• Gummy bears, candy floats and other beach-themed sweets
• Edible sugar sheets printed with beer and beach designs

Step-by-step preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and prepare two round cake pans with nonstick spray or butter and flour.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
4. Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Then add the milk and vanilla, followed by the rest of the flour. Beat on low speed until the batter is smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the pans and bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.
7. To decorate, cover each layer with light blue buttercream or fondant. Use food coloring to create beach colors: brown for the sand, light blue for the water and green for the palm trees.
8. Use piping bags and tips to create beach designs on the cake, such as palm trees, floats and umbrellas. Add gummy bears or beach-themed sweets for a fun touch.
9. Use the edible printed sugar sheets to decorate the top of the cake. You can print images of beer bottles and cut them out to place on top.
10. Add a chocolate beer bottle or a beer label printed on edible sugar paper as a finishing touch.