As soon as the weather started to change and there was a chill in the air, I started looking for a reason to make this cake. Thankfully Dan M and Paul S provided me with the right occasion – a dinner invitation for Julie and Rob S and us at their lovingly renovated mid-century house. What a treat!

The best part of this cake is that it is super moist. All it needs is a dusting of powdered sugar, although you could certainly dress it up with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. It is a wonderful blend of chocolate (cocoa powder and chopped), coffee, whisky and spices. I know that black pepper may seem a bit odd, but it works.

I used Jameson whiskey as it was the only Irish whiskey we had. Some might say that was extravagant but it was worth it. I followed the thought process that you should only cook with wine you would drink.  Any Irish whiskey will work well in this recipe.

I used gluten-free flour (Cup4Cup is my go-to) and all agreed that they couldn’t tell that the cake was gluten-free. You can also use the same amount of regular all-purpose flour. If you are making this for someone that is gluten-free please check to ensure that they are okay with whiskey (made from gluten-containing ingredients – wheat, barley or rye) as people who have a strong gluten sensitivity might not be able to tolerate it. If so, a dark rum (such as Myers’s) would be a good substitute. Rum is made from sugar cane so there’s no issue with gluten. Rum and chocolate are always a good combination.

We all agreed that this cake would make a great addition to a holiday table – Thanksgiving (in addition to pie) or Christmas. It would also be lovely for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration since one of the star ingredients is Irish whiskey. I ended up cutting rather large pieces and made sure to let everyone know that it was fine if they didn’t finish theirs. All but one did and she took what was left of her piece home. I took that as a good sign that everyone enjoyed this yummy cake. 

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

 

Chocolate Whiskey Cake
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Serves: 10 to 12
Ingredients
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces plus more for greasing the pan
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened (natural or Dutch process) cocoa powder (divided)
  • 1-1/2 cups brewed strong coffee
  • ½ cup Irish whiskey
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 4 ounces good quality dark chocolate (~ 70%), roughly chopped
  • 2 cups regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour (see Notes)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar, for serving
  • Freshly whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the coffee, Irish whiskey, 12 tablespoons butter and remaining ¾ cup cocoa powder, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted.
  2. Whisk in granulated sugar and light brown sugar until dissolved.
  3. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl and cool completely. About 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. While the coffee-whiskey mixture is cooling, preheat oven, prepare pan and chop dark chocolate.
  5. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Butter a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Dust pan with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
  6. Coarsely chop the dark chocolate and set aside.
  7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, coarse sea salt, black pepper and cloves.
  8. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.
  9. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
  10. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 80 to 90 minutes for a 9-inch pan or 60 to 65 minutes for a 10-inch pan. If the cake cracks a little, don’t worry as you can cover it with powdered sugar.
  11. Let the cake cool on a wire rack, then remove sides of the pan. If you want to remove the springform bottom, invert the cake onto a plate, remove the bottom and invert it onto another plate so it’s right side up. (I prefer to do this especially if I’m taking this cake somewhere so that I don’t lose my springform pan bottom.)
  12. Cover/wrap and store at room temperature for up to a day or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before serving.
  13. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar. (If you do it too early the sugar may ‘melt’ into the cake.) If you’re feeling fancy, add a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Notes
* If you want to make this gluten-free, use gluten-free flour (such as Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour) in place of the all-purpose flour.
* Whiskey is made from wheat, barley or rye and contains gluten. If you’re making this for someone with a strong gluten sensitivity, use dark rum in place of the whiskey. Rum is made from sugar cane and is naturally gluten-free.
* I doubled this recipe and divided it between three 9-inch cake pans (I don't have three springform pans that are the same size) and baked for 65 to 70 minutes. Once cooled, I wrapped and froze them. It worked great!
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Source:  Variation on recipe from New York Times Cooking