Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Chocolate Whiskey Cake – Day Two – Chocolate Whiskey Cake and Dulce de Leche Buttercream

I was in Asheville, NC last week having a great time with 150 bloggers! It was a wonderful time of sharing ideas, learning new things, and eating new food. The Food Blog Forum was hosted by Foodtoipa, the Asheville tourism board, and they totally impressed me. Everything about the area was amazing – the mountains, the friendly people, the farms, the restaurants, and the desserts!

One little chocolatier totally caught my attention – Jael from French Broad Chocolate.

They have a cocoa farm in Costa Rica and they bring it back to Asheville where they roast them and make the chocolate. It’s a lovely place and it smells divine!

My husband has been bugging me to make a “man’s cake” for the past month. He bought me a bottle of Dewar’s and it took me so long to get to it that he had enjoyed 99% of the bottle himself. I was determined to make this cake before I left for North Carolina, and I had a large bundt cake made… but then life happened and that bundt cake was sacrificed to make cake pops for FBF. C’est la vie!

Also, while driving through the mountains, touring the farms and looking out over the Biltmore Estate, I got a total sense of “Outlander”. Not in Scotland, but when they move to North Carolina. I’m in to book 6 of the series and loving every moment with the Fraser Clan. So while I was there talking with a Foodtopian, I mentioned that with the Highland Brewery and the majestic mountains, they should really look into a full experience with Jamie and Claire. Yeah, I’d get into that… while stuffing my face with this cake.

Yes, I really think that all the Highland boys would enjoy this cake. At least my red-headed husband did 😉

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Whiskey infused Chocolate Cake and Dulce de Leche buttercream will bring all the Scottish highlanders to your yard!

Preparation 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1:00

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shopping list

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Butter
• 2 cups Flour
• 5 ounces Dark Chocolate, I used 66% dark
• 1/4 cup Instant Espresso (or Coffee) Granules
• 2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Boiling water
• 1 cup Whiskey
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

For the Frosting

• 1 pound (4 sticks) Butter (salted is good)
• apx 10 - 12 oz Dulce de Leche made from 1 14 oz can
• +/- 2 pounds Powdered Sugar (As needed to thicken)
• 2 - 3 Tablespoons Whiskey

Instructions

For the Cake

1. Melt the chocolate pieces and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease two 9 inch round pans. Line with parchment or flour.
3. Use a 2 cup measuring cup and place the coffee granules and the cocoa powder into it and add boiling water up to the 1 cup line. When all is dissolved, add in the whiskey. Set aside to cool.
4. Whip the butter until smooth then add in the salt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Add the cooled chocolate and then alternate the coffee whiskey and the flour.
5. Transfer to the pans and bake for 35 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning them out. Allow to cool completely and refrigerate..

For the Frosting

1. Whip the softened butter and add in the Dulce de Leche. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and the whiskey. You'll need a lot of sugar for a thick frosting. Keep adding the sugar until the peaks are stiff yet it's still pliable.
2. Tort the Cake and layer the frosting. You can leave the sides open if desired or cover it completely.

by Karyn Granrud

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