Description
Rich bourbon chocolate cake discovers pure indulgence through layers of deep cocoa and silky blackberry buttercream. Complex flavors merge seamlessly, inviting dessert enthusiasts to savor each luxurious chocolate-infused moment you’ll treasure.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot coffee
Leavening and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet and Flavor Ingredients:
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
Buttercream Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 sticks (0.75 pound or 340 grams) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 1 ¼ cups pureed blackberries
Instructions
- Prepare the cake pans by coating with butter and lining with wax paper, ensuring even coverage for easy cake removal.
- Sift together all dry ingredients in a spacious mixing vessel, creating a uniform powder mixture of flour, cocoa, sugar, and leavening agents.
- Whisk together liquid components in a separate bowl, blending buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and bourbon until smooth and integrated.
- Gradually incorporate wet ingredients into dry mixture, stirring at low speed to prevent overmixing and maintain cake’s delicate texture.
- Stream hot coffee into the batter, mixing until the consistency becomes silky and homogeneous with no visible flour streaks.
- Distribute batter evenly across three prepared cake pans, gently tapping to release potential air bubbles.
- Slide pans into preheated oven and bake until a slender testing skewer emerges clean when inserted into cake’s center, approximately 25 minutes.
- Allow cakes to cool completely on wire racks, preventing condensation and maintaining structural integrity.
- For buttercream, create a double boiler setup and combine egg whites and sugar, whisking persistently until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches precise temperature.
- Transfer mixture to stand mixer, whipping at medium-high speed until meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks.
- Introduce softened butter incrementally, allowing each piece to fully integrate before adding the next.
- Gently fold blackberry puree into buttercream, creating a vibrant, swirled texture.
- Assemble cake by layering buttercream between each chocolate disc, then generously coating exterior with remaining frosting.
- Chill briefly to set buttercream and enhance flavor melding.
Notes
- This decadent bourbon chocolate cake combines rich, deep cocoa flavors with a smooth blackberry buttercream for an indulgent dessert experience.
- Bourbon adds a warm, complex depth to the chocolate cake, creating a more sophisticated and adult-friendly treat that elevates traditional chocolate cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smoother mixing and a more consistent cake texture, which helps create a tender and moist crumb.
- Carefully monitor the egg white and sugar mixture when heating to precisely 160°F to guarantee food safety and perfect meringue consistency.
- Softened butter is crucial for achieving a silky, stable buttercream that spreads smoothly and holds its shape when frosting the cake.
- Fresh blackberry puree brings a vibrant, natural sweetness and gorgeous purple color to the buttercream, making this cake visually stunning and deliciously fruity.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 411
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 263 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 72 mg