The world is a place of moral confusion.
Economic collapses. Natural disasters. Lady Gaga's wierd, but totally awesome head thing at the Grammys.
However, this time of year, the calendar says you should be concerned with two of my favorite things: chocolate and booze.
First was the Super Bowl (Go Saints). Next up, that greeting card holiday on the 14th. Then one of those patriotic holidays where we reflect on the American Presidents' momentous achievements and astonishing, ongoing screw-ups. And finally, the most outrageous holiday of the year...the birth anniversary of Sydney Anne Townsend (moi).
To make sure you you will be able to get through all four, I present to you a recipe for a A Whiskey-soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake. It's exactly how it sounds: a delicious, boozy, fudge-filled 86-proof chocolate cake. I found it in a New York Times article a few years ago and it has never failed me. Ever. Here it goes:
Time: About 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling
1. Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.
2. Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).
5. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar if you like.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
The outcome: a rich, dense and very chocolaty cake, with a spicy, peppery, burnt caramel tang from the rye...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Enjoy!
Time: About 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon, rye or other whiskey, more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional).
1. Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.
2. Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).
5. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar if you like.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
The outcome: a rich, dense and very chocolaty cake, with a spicy, peppery, burnt caramel tang from the rye...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Enjoy!
