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Chocolate Whiskey Cake
Dessert

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

This decadent and oh-so-rich Chocolate Whiskey Cake is laced with Irish whiskey and topped with Bailey's Irish cream frosting. It's so moist and rich--truly what chocolate lovers dream of!
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

  • 4 oz semi or bittersweet chocolate, chopped*
  • 4 oz (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • 1 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup irish whiskey
  • 1/2 cup strong hot coffee

Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting

  • 6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish cream liqueur

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Melt the chocolate, butter, and oil. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate, butter, and neutral oil. Melt it over low heat until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth and let it cool slightly.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  • Whisk the eggs and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes, until frothy. Then, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.
  • Mix in the chocolate. Whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs until smooth. Only add a little at a time while whisking, until the chocolate is totally incorporated.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the flour mixture until totally smooth and no streaks of flour remain. Switch back to a whisk and whisk in the hot coffee and whiskey until the batter is smooth, with no lumps.
  • Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan.
  • Make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, use a hand mixture to beat the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder together until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, salt, and Bailey's until smooth and the frosting is fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake, cut into pieces, and serve.

Notes

* Not all chocolate is created equal! I don't recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe as they contain stabilizers. Instead, buy chocolate bars or feves and roughly chop them before melting. My favorite is the Trader Joe's Pound Plus Bittersweet Chocolate bars.
This recipe can be converted to a layer cake by baking in 8x2-inch round cake pans. Adjust the baking time down and start checking the cake at 20 minutes. If you make a layer cake, plan to double the frosting. 

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 306mgPotassium: 226mgFiber: 4gSugar: 64gVitamin A: 372IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 3mg