Irish Whiskey Cake recipe! Try it

IRISH WHISKEY CAKE

Fine Cooking magazine gets the credit for this one.  Featured in the December 2012 issue

Cake

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp. sea salt

2 large eggs (room temperature)

1 cup whole milk (room temperature)

½ cup cooking oil

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter or spray three 9” round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.  Spray or butter the parchment.  (I use Bak-Klene spray for cake pans)

Briefly blend the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed in your stand mixer..  Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix at low speed, scraping the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is thick and creamy about 5 minutes.  With the mixer running, gradually add the coffee and blend just until combined.  The batter will be quite thin.  Divide the batter equally among the pans.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the center is firm and springs back when touched.  Cool completely in the pans on racks. 

Coffee-Whiskey Whipped Cream

1 Tbs. instant espresso granules

¼ cup Irish whiskey, such as Jameson

3 cups heavy cream

3 Tbs. packed dark brown sugar

Clean and chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment.  In a measuring cup, stir the instant espresso into the whiskey until completely dissolved.  In the chilled bowl, whip the cream on medium-high speed while slowly adding brown sugar until medium peaks form, 2-3 minutes.  Add the whiskey mixture and continue to whip just until combined.

Finish

Level the layers if needed.  Spread equal amounts of cream over each layer.  Make large white and dark chocolate curls for decorating the top by heating bars of chocolate in the microwave just until they can be shaved into curls.  Arrange on top.  I put the white ones in the middle and surrounded them with the dark ones. 

CAUTION

This cake does not hold well.  It is best served immediately.  Two hours in the refrigerator max.