The bold flavors of chocolate, espresso and bourbon balance beautifully in this delicious Bourbon Chocolate Cake. Dusted with a fresh fall of powdered sugar it makes a spirited addition to a festive holiday menu.
Chocolate and Bourbon in a Moist Bundt Cake
It is still snowing at my house. Tiny icy little flakes are whipping around on the wind this afternoon. They skitter across the road in waves. Like a misty fog they rise from the dry ice as they weave and swirl in active patterns on the pavement. From my window I can see intermittent streams of snowflakes blown from the roof across the street. There the snowflakes have settled less like a blanket and more like powdered frosting resting on the tiered tiles and nestling in thick lines along the gables. You can’t say it doesn’t look like Christmas around here this year!
Before the snow began I found a great Bundt pan for the season. The shelf tag described its shape as a bell. I thought it would be perfect for a holiday dessert. In fact I had one particular dessert in mind when I splurged and bought it for myself with a 40% off coupon at a local craft store. I had seen a beautiful Chocolate Bourbon Cake at SimplyRecipes.com just days before and I really wanted to try it. The post there credited Melissa Clark of The New York Times and her article “When Temperance Isn’t in the Cards” as the source of the recipe. For someone who likes to cook with Bourbon as much as I do it seemed like the perfect festive holiday cake to share with friends.
With a new pan and a new recipe I lit a candle. Then I turned on my Christmas playlist and dedicated the afternoon to baking. The recipe came together seamlessly and while the cake was baking I worked on finishing my long planned Kentucky Bourbon Balls.
Finished with a Fresh Fall of Powdered Sugar
I tested the cake at 1 hour and 10 minutes as directed but left it in an extra 5 to 10 minutes before it tested done from my oven. I removed the cake from the pan immediately and it came out perfectly. The detail from the pan was quite pretty.
The event where I had planned to serve this beautiful cake ended up being canceled because of the snow. Even so I found a few willing tasters to gather at my house that evening. Just before serving I dusted the cake with powdered sugar sifted through a tea strainer. The powdered sugar settled along the ridges from the cake pan like snow dusting the tiles on the rooftops outside my window. The effect was simple and enchanting.
The cake itself was even better. Moist and dark the cake tasted rich and delicious. The flavor of the chocolate, espresso and bourbon balanced each other well composing a warmly spirited blend of holiday notes. Each bite was a feast of flavors on its own making it a dessert to be savored slowly, accompanied by a bold cup of hot coffee.
Happy Holidays!
Bourbon Chocolate Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: American12
servings20
minutes1
hour10
minutes1
hour30
minutesThe bold flavors of chocolate, espresso and bourbon balance beautifully in this delicious Bourbon Chocolate Cake. Dusted with a fresh fall of powdered sugar it makes a spirited addition to a festive holiday menu.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups flour
5 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon whiskey + 1/4 cup or so for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Set aside to cool.
- Put the expresso powder and cocoa powder in a large (2 cup or larger) measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to make the contents measure 1 cup. Stir until the powders dissolve. Add 1 cup of bourbon and the salt. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, beating until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.
- On low speed, beat in 1/3 of the bourbon-espresso mixture. When combined add one cup of flour beating just until combined. Continue adding another third of the bourbon-espresso mixture, the second cup of flour, and then the remainder of the liquid until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake at 325F for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the cake tests done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Invert the cake on a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup or so of bourbon while the cake is still warm.
- Allow cake to cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Notes
- Recipe Source: from The New York Times, December 3, 2008, by Melissa Clark
- I’m not sure it would improve the cake but next time I think I will soak 1/2 cup of fresh pecan halves in bourbon, then add the nuts to the batter just before pouring it into the pan. They might make a nice occasional counterpoint to the melt in your mouth texture of the cake itself.
Thank you for this recipe. It’s not only beautiful but delicious as well. This is my favorite cake. My husband loves it as well. We use Buffalo Trace bourbon and it is just perfect. Thank you again. If folks haven’t tried it, please do.
Hi Katrina. Thanks for your sweet comment! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy this recipe. It is one of my favorite cakes too.
It looks great!! I had got my Christmas cake for this year from Fannie May Candies.
you’re getting some great use out of your bourbon! what a lovely, dense, rich slab of cake. happy holidays to you!
This recipe makes me want to run out and get a really nice bundt pan! And Bourbon again- Love It!!
What a stunning cake! I love the pan shape. And your photos are gorgeous. Must try bourbon and chocolate!
I’ve heard wonderful things about this cake, Lisa. Your photos lead me to believe that every word is true. I want to try this when things calm down a bit. Merry Christmas!
Lisa: You are a busy little chef elf this holiday season. Thank you for bringing me into your Christmas kitchen. I feel all warm inside.
Beautiful photos, Lisa. I imagine that the bourbon really brings out the chocolate flavor. Looks delicious.