Chocolate Whiskey Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm coffee, Irish whiskey, 12 tablespoons butter and remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. Whisk in sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Slowly whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then remove sides of pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if you like.

CHOCOLATE IRISH WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9×2-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Butter the parchment.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl, using an electric hand-held mixer), briefly blend the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix at low speed, scraping the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is thick and creamy, like chocolate frosting, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the hot coffee, mixing at low speed just until combined. The batter will be quite thin. Divide the batter equally among the pans.
• Bake, switching positions and rotating the pans halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few crumbs clinging to it and the center feels firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on racks.
• Clean and chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment. In a measuring cup, stir the instant espresso into the whiskey until completely dissolved. In the chilled bowl, whip the cream, brown sugar, and whiskey mixture on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the cake pans and turn the cakes out onto a large cutting board; peel off the parchment.
• Transfer one layer to a cake plate and spread a third of the whipped cream on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border; repeat with the second layer. Put the top layer in place and spread the remaining whipped cream out to the edge.
• To make the chocolate shavings, put a piece of waxed paper or foil on a baking sheet. Microwave each block of chocolate on medium power for 20 to 30 seconds to soften slightly, then draw a vegetable peeler along the chocolate bar's edge, letting the curls fall onto the waxed paper. Make enough curls of both colors to top the cake generously, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 oz. each. Refrigerate the shavings to make them easier to handle.
• Arrange the shavings on top of the cake and serve.

PENNY'S WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube cake pan. Sprinkle the walnuts evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Place the cake mix, pudding mix, 1/2 cup water, vegetable oil, eggs, and 1/2 cup whiskey into a mixing bowl, and beat until well blended with an electric mixer, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter over the nuts in the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set and the top springs back when pushed slightly, about 1 hour. When the cake is completely cool, run a paring knife between the cake and the edge of the pan. Hold the cake pan on its side and gently tap the sides of the pan against the counter to loosen it. Cover the cake pan with a plate or cooling rack, and invert it to tip the cake out of the pan and onto the plate. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a toothpick.
• To make glaze, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, then pour in 1/4 cup water and the sugar. Stir the mixture together until smooth, and bring to a boil over medium-low heat; boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup whiskey. Let the mixture cool about 10 minutes, then pour the warm glaze over the cake, allowing it to soak into the holes in the cake.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder until evenly distributed and no lumps remain. To a separate large bowl, add the 1/2 cup oil, eggs, milk, almond extract and salt and whisk until smooth, at least 30 seconds. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the last streak of flour disappears.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and tap gently against the counter to pop excess air bubbles. Bake until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
• Microwave the cherry preserves in a small bowl in 30-second intervals or in a small saucepan over medium heat until looser and slightly liquidy. Spread the preserves evenly over the cooled cake.
• Make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder and salt and pour over the hot water. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, whisk until smooth. Add the heavy cream and continue whisking until billowy soft peaks form. When you turn the whisk upside-down, a peak of cream should flop over slightly like a Santa hat. Spread the frosting over the cake and, if using, garnish with the cherries. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans.
• On ungreased baking sheet, bake pecans 6-8 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool completely, 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in bowl combine cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and whiskey; with mixer at low speed, beat until combined. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes.
• Stir in chocolate chips and cooled pecans.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool on racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on racks.
• Place 1 cake layer on serving platter; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer; spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Press pecan pieces onto side, if desired.

WHISKEY-SOAKED DARK CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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.

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter bundt pan well, then dust with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
• Heat coffee, whiskey, butter, and remaining cup cocoa powder in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until butter is melted. Remove from heat, then add sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool 5 minutes.
• While chocolate mixture cools, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk into cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly). Pour batter into bundt pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack.

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS® BUNDT® CAKE WITH WHISKEY WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®). Fit the bottom with a trimmed sheet of parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
• Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Whisk beer, buttermilk, and butter together in a separate, small bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Whisk just until the batter is smooth; pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top gently springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• While the cake is still warm, run a thin metal spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen it; leave in the pan to cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove the cake and let cool completely on a rack before removing the sheet of parchment.
• Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and whiskey together in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks have formed, about 3 minutes. Serve alongside the cake.

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch springform pan, line with parchment and butter parchment. Place currants and whiskey in a saucepan, heat until warm. Set aside.
• Place chocolate and remaining butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat until chocolate and butter are nearly melted, remove from heat and stir.
• Beat egg yolks and brown sugar together until pale and creamy. Stir in chocolate mixture, then currants and whiskey. Fold in flour.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold peaks. Stir about one-fourth of egg whites into batter, then fold in the rest. Transfer to baking pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until top shows a little cracking and a toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool on a rack, unmold and peel off parchment. Wrap cake in foil. Cake is best served the next day but can be served immediately.
• Dust cake with confectioners' sugar. Whip cream with 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; serve alongside.