Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
This recipe is a more sophisticated (and boozier) version of one found in Maida Heatter's "Book of Great Chocolate Desserts.” The cake is rich, dense and full of chocolate, with a spicy, peppery, burnt caramel tang.
Ingredients
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
- 2 cupsall-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
- 5 ouncesunsweetened chocolate
- ¼ cupinstant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoonsunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cupbourbon, rye or other whiskey, more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoonkosher salt
- 2 cupsgranulated sugar
- 3 largeeggs
- 1 tablespoonvanilla extract
- 1 teaspoonbaking soda
- confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- 1
Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.
- 2
Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.
- 3
Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
- 4
On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).
- 5
Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar if you like.