Monday, December 22, 2008

Chocolate and Bourbon... yes, it is true!

My good friend John sent me this recipe that I have in turn gifted to 20 close friends and family.
All I can say is YUM!

Chocolate Bourbon Cake Recipe
adapted from New York Times
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
5 ounces high quality, unsweetened dark chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso (can use instant coffee)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon whiskey (can use 1/2 cup), more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), for sprinkling

Method

1 . Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a large bundt pan (10 cup
capacity), or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans. Melt chocolate in a microwave
oven or in a double boiler over simmering water. Let cool.
2 Put instant espresso and cocoa powder 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. Stir in whiskey and salt; let cool.
3 Beat softened butter until fluffy (2-3 minutes on high). 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.
4 With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey espresso
cocoa 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).
5 Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake
with more whiskey. Let cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar through a mesh sieve
over the cake before serving.

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