If you think pouring your favorite lager or ale into cake feels wrong, please hear us out. Remember: Opposites attract. Beer's floral, bitter or other complex, deep notes will actually add sophistication to all that sugar and frosting. So you end up with a sweet treat with nuanced, showstopping flavor — and we designed these cakes to be extra-beautiful to match.

Photography by Matt Armendariz

These sunny cupcakes are a gentle introduction to baking with beer. Hefeweizen (a traditional wheat beer from Germany) isn't too bitter, and ground cloves and orange zest enhance its natural flavor.

This deeply beautiful cake is as pretty as a picture, but isn't cloyingly sweet. In an update on the classic shortcake, the yeasty bitterness of red ale contrasts pleasantly with sweet-tart strawberries. The cake rounds are stacked with buttercream frosting and left bare on the sides so you can see the berries (macerated in more ale) peeking out.

Classic pilsner's sweet corn-like aroma inspired this dessert, made with canned creamed corn for a velvety texture and concentrated flavor. A blackberry jam frosting complements the bittersweet cake, and its pastel purple hue makes this a beautiful centerpiece for any celebration.