Kahlua Chocolate Cake
Over the weekend we celebrated my husband’s birthday. In keep with tradition I made him a cake. My kids were slightly disappointed that this chocolate cake wasn’t as kid-friendly as last year. But, they still had plenty of Easter candy to enjoy so I really didn’t feel guilty. The original cake recipe is adapted from Molly’s famous rich and fudgy wedding cake recipe. I’ve tweaked it by adding a generous nip of kahlua and an extra topping of whipped cream. It takes very little time to prepare and is perfect for any celebration.
I’ll admit, this cake is pretty underwhelming to look at the minute you first take it out of the oven. Once you flip it onto the wire rack to cool it kind of slowly deflates here and there and some of the crackly pieces on top flake off. But do not despair! The dense, fudgy flavor more than makes up for the dullish look. And, you don’t feel as bad dousing it with whipped cream and ice cream (and sprinkles if you want!) because you aren’t covering up your showstopper. You really just need to blow out the candles, close you eyes, and take a big bite and you are in birthday cake heaven!
adapted from Orangette
Ingredients
- 7 ounces best quality dark chocolate
- 7 ounces high quality salted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Then line the bottom with parchment paper and spray that again.
- Position a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water and add the chocolate. Stir the chocolate lightly with a spoon and add the butter as it begins to melt. Continue stirring until all of the chocolate and butter are smooth and stirred well. Then stir in the sugar to combine. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
- Once the chocolate has cooled start whisking in the eggs one at time, whisking well after each addition. The whisk the salt and Kahlua. Finally, whisk in the flour until the batter is completely smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepare pan and bake the cake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Or, until the center of the cake is set and the top is shiny and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it from the pan and place it top side up on a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t worry if the cake sags in the middle as it cools.
- Once it has cooled, dollop with whipped cream and serve!
Notes
This cake freezes well. The texture and flavor actually improve with time. To freeze, wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and an outer layer of aluminum foil once it has completely cooled.
How much flour, please?
Just 1 tablespoon. Updated!