Small Chocolate Bourbon Cake
This is a deep, dark chocolate cake with more than a hint of bourbon and espresso flavoring.
Servings 8 slices
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder (such as King Arthur or Medaglio)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (6 grams)
- ½ cup boiling water (or as needed per directions, so a little less) (110 grams)
- ½ cup bourbon or whiskey (120 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (70 grams)
- 4 oz unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 large egg plus 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg (75 grams of egg)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- 1 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar for garnishing strawberries, whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 6 cup capacity fluted pan or lightly spray a silicone one.
- Put espresso powder and cocoa powder in a 2 cup glass measuring cup, then add enough boiling water to come up to the ½ cup measuring line. Mix until dissolved. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl melt the chocolate in the microwave using 50% power and stirring every 30 seconds. You can also do this in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined, scraping the side of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, beating for 30 seconds after each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
- On low speed, beat in about a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, stir in ½ cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Beat mixture on medium for about 30 seconds.
- At this point, stop and ask yourself if miniature chocolate chips are necessary. The answer is always yes. If you don't have them that's fine, but if you do then throw some in. Make sure the batter is cool before doing so.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 60 -70 minutes. My 6-cup capacity Bundt pan measures 7-inches across so it's deep and the cake takes 70 minutes. If your pan is wider and shallower, the time might be around 60. The cake will develop cracks before it is done. To be sure it's fully baked, stick a meat thermometer in one of the cracks. Pull the cake when it measures 200F.
- Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and brush warm cake with more booze. Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar.