WHISKEY-SOAKED DARK CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake image

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.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 1h30m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon, rye or other whiskey, more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish (optional)

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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 440, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 53 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 14 grams, Sodium 208 milligrams, Sugar 34 grams, TransFat 1 gram