Lisa and I tag teamed to make this cake as a welcome-home-from-your-birthday-weekend treat for Abbie. The recipe in the New York Times doesn’t specify any particular brand of bourbon, but this is a Maker’s household, so that’s what we used.
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Lisa says:
Smell it and see if you can guess the secret ingredient!
Thad says:
Booze!
Chris says:
Correct! But more specifically?
Abbie says:
Bourbon? Jack?
Chris says:
Maker’s!
Abbie says:
Wahoo! Okay — I have to have a slice right now.
Thad says:
Wow, you can really taste that bourbon in there…
Lisa says:
I know, I felt like I was getting drunk tasting the batter.
Abbie says:
Oooh, this is SO good…
Chris says:
That’s half the reason we made it for you — it wouldn’t be stuck at our house; that would be VERY dangerous.
Abbie says:
You realize you just locked yourself in to making this every year, don’t you?
Chris says:
So NOT a problem. It’s bourbon. And CAKE!
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Maker’s Mark Bourbon-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso
2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 cup Maker’s Mark bourbon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
powdered sugar
Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven, melt chocolate, and let cool.
Put espresso and cocoa powder in a 2-cup 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.
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.
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. Meanwhile, pour yourself a Maker’s Mark on the rocks and enjoy.
Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool before serving, garnished with powdered sugar.
10-12 Servings
13 responses to “Maker’s Mark Bourbon-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake”
Um, you’ll need to make this when Chris, Theo, and I come to visit next month. ‘Cuz we’re coming a week after my birthday, which is still in the celebration window!!
So how does it taste to someone who doesn’t drink Bourbon? I know…silly question…you’re probably thinking…who doesn’t drink Bourbon.
Ohhh… this looks so fantastic! I swear I can actually smell it fron here. 🙂 Can’t wait to make it.
Mm, good bourbon… and cake!
“Meanwhile, pour yourself a Maker’s Mark on the rocks and enjoy.” <— Amen to that.
Bourbon should play a more prominent role in the kitchen. I make a bread pudding sauce using bourbon.
thanks for sharing,
muddywaters
Does Bourbon in a cake count as alcohol? I’m limited to two units of the stuff a week… boo…
Mallika — I vote no! It’s cooked, right? Though, the extra that you pour on top *might* count, depending on how much extra there is. 😉
guys, best birthday-season cake EVER. i’m drunk already just *thinking* about eating more of it!
gorgeous cake! chocolate and bourbon- what could be better??
i made up a glaze for mine:
2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp bourbon, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1-2 tbsp milk, 1 c powdered sugar
melt butter in small saucepan, add bourbon, brown sugar, and vanilla. simmer together, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. remove from heat, whisk in powdered sugar and add milk until pourable consistency is achieved and drizzle over warm cake. yummm…
[…] Recipe from We Heart Food […]
So, I made this recipe as a test case for mini bundt cakes. The first go-around I did not let the cakes cool long enough in the pan and half came out crumbled. I am going to use them as a basis for party invitations. This time I have let them cool a good 10 -15 minutes and they come out perfectly. I get 12 mini bundt cakes out of one recipe.
And they are absolutely delicious!
Thanks!
Ok, really dumb question here:
“1/4 cup instant espresso” – is that 1/4 of the grounds/crystals that you make espresso with, or 1/4 cup of brewed espresso? (My husband and I are disagreeing on this)
Also, how bad is it if I use salted butter?
On the 1/4 instant expresso, it is neither of those. Imagine if you put coffee grounds in – it would be gritty. But 1/4 cup of brewed expresso is not what is asked for either. Instant coffee comes in a jar and it will dissolve in hot water. It does not need to be brewed. They call for expresso instant coffee powder – stronger flavor than regular instant coffee. It is stronger than regular expresso (liquid) coffee.