Chocolate Whiskey Cake

 Happy Valentine's Day!  I am not ashamed to admit I spent this Valentine's day getting a massage and then cooking myself dinner and soon taking a bubble bath with a good book.  I used to resent Valentine's Day (even when I've been in relationships, so much pressure).  But now I've embraced it as a perfect excuse to bake delicious sweets for all the people I love, which is one of my favorite things.

 Speaking of delicious things, this chocolate whiskey cake is amazing.  I got the recipe from one of my co-workers who brought it in to work.  I have to admit I was a little intimidated when I started this job; I'm the only woman on my team, I'm young and I'm inexperienced.  The rest of my team is super smart, experienced and not at all afraid to speak their mind.  However, it is much more difficult to be intimidated by someone who brings in chocolate whiskey cake.

 You can definitely taste the whiskey in this cake, but it isn't overpowering.  It gives it a nice bite to counter the sweetness.  It is also super moist and has chocolate chips in it.  It was a big hit at work and it was a big hit at the party I took it to on Saturday.

 The recipe calls for dusting with cocoa powder, but I decided I wanted to be a little fancier.  First I used a sieve to cover the top with powdered sugar.  Then I cut out a bunch of hearts from parchment paper and carefully laid them on the top.  Then I used the sieve again to dust the top with cocoa powder and carefully removed the hearts.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out but I think it looks great and it was one of the easiest cakes to decorate.

Everyone makes mistakes while cooking, but the key is to learn from them.  When I made the French Apple Cake in my springform pan, I failed to read the part of the recipe where it tells you to place the pan on a baking sheet.  I found out why this might be a good idea when some of my batter dripped out the bottom of the pan and proceeded to get burnt onto the bottom of my oven (oops).  But see, I have learned my lesson, no more smokey oven messes.

 I love this cake because it just looks so decadent and rich, and when you bite into it you aren't disappointed.  And, like all my favorite recipes, it is deceptively simple to make.  I hope that you all had a wonderful Valentine's day and that you are blessed with as many wonderful and amazing people in your life as I have in mine.

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup whiskey
1 1/2sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 large eggs plus one egg white
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1. In a saucepan, whisk together coffee, whiskey, butter and 3/4 cup cocoa powder over low heat.  Let cool. Mix in the sugars and vanilla.
2. In a small bowl toss chocolate chips with 1 tbsp cocoa.
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. 
4. Whisk the eggs, egg white and vanilla into the cooled coffee-chocolate mixture and whisk into flour mixture.  Fold in the cocoa-dusted chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into a 10-inch springform pan that has been buttered and dusted with 2 tbsps cocoa powder.  Place pan on baking sheet.
6. Bake in a 325F degree oven for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out just slightly moist.  Dust with the remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder before serving.

From Rachel Ray
Print this recipe