Dining and Cooking
Chefs’ Collections

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

This recipe came to The Times from Marti Buckley Kilpatrick, who adapted it from Dol Miles, the pastry chef at Frank Stitt’s Bottega restaurant in Birmingham, Ala. Ms. Kilpatrick describes the cake as an ugly frog of a confection, but promises that anyone willing to bet a kiss on its excellence would be amply rewarded. The interplay of coffee, black pepper and cloves is subtle but powerful, and results in a deeply flavored, moist confection that comes together quickly. It’s just delicious.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, more for pan
  • 85 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 ½ cups brewed strong coffee
  • ½ cup Irish whiskey
  • 200 grams granulated sugar (about 1 cup)
  • 156 grams light brown sugar (about 1 cup)
  • 240 grams all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  • 8 grams baking soda (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 3 grams fine sea salt (about 3/4 teaspoon)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

      624 calories; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 87 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 55 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 115 milligrams cholesterol; 459 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

8 to 10 servings

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

1 hour 25 minutes

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