Bittersweet Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake
A decadent chocolate cake enriched with Irish whiskey and espresso, featuring a blend of bittersweet and semisweet chocolates. The cake is made with ground almonds and topped with a whiskey-chocolate icing for an elegant dessert.
Ingredients
- •½ cup Irish whiskey
- •6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- •2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- •⅓ cup blanched almonds
- •6 tablespoons all purpose flour
- •¾ cup unsalted butter
- •7 tablespoons vanilla sugar
- •3 large eggs
- •1 pinch fine sea salt
- •2 ounces semisweet chocolate
- •chopped
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour 8-inch-diameter springform pan.
10 min
- 2.
Boil 1/2 cup whiskey in small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Combine bittersweet chocolate, espresso powder mixture, and 1/4 cup boiled whiskey in small metal bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Finely grind almonds with 2 tablespoons flour in processor.
15 min
- 3.
Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and 6 tablespoons vanilla sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time, then sea salt. Fold in chocolate mixture, then ground almond mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into batter alternately with remaining 4 tablespoons flour in 3 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
20 min
- 4.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 30 minutes. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely.
70 min
- 5.
Combine semisweet chocolate and remaining 2 tablespoons whiskey in small metal bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Add remaining 1/4 cup butter to chocolate mixture, 1 small piece at a time, whisking until each piece is melted before adding next. Place bowl over larger bowl of ice water. Using electric mixer, beat icing until thickened to spreadable consistency, about 1 minute. Spread icing over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.
25 min
