Description
Moist bourbon chocolate cake brings rich, complex flavors to dessert tables across Southern kitchens. Dark chocolate and blackberry buttercream create an indulgent pairing that delights guests with sophisticated sweet notes you’ll savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (400 g) sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot coffee
- 2 tsps baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 3 tbsps bourbon
- 4 egg whites
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) sugar
- 3 sticks (340 g or 12 oz) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) pureed blackberries
Instructions
- Preparation: Prepare three cake pans by generously buttering and lining with wax paper to ensure seamless cake extraction.
- Dry Blend: Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and leavening agents in a large mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry foundation.
- Liquid Fusion: Whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and bourbon in a separate vessel until completely emulsified.
- Batter Construction: Merge wet and dry ingredients at low speed, stirring carefully to maintain batter’s delicate consistency, then integrate hot coffee until silky and homogeneous.
- Baking Transformation: Distribute batter evenly across prepared pans, gently tapping to eliminate air pockets, then bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for approximately 25 minutes, confirming doneness with a clean skewer test.
- Cooling Protocol: Rest cake layers on wire racks until completely cooled, preserving structural integrity and preventing moisture condensation.
- Buttercream Technique: Create meringue by whisking egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until sugar dissolves, then transfer to stand mixer and whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Frosting Finesse: Gradually incorporate softened butter into meringue, then delicately fold blackberry puree to create a vibrant, marbled buttercream.
- Cake Assembly: Layer chocolate discs with blackberry buttercream, coating the entire exterior with remaining frosting for a luxurious finish.
- Flavor Refinement: Chill cake briefly to set buttercream and allow flavors to harmonize before serving.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir batter gently at low speed to maintain the cake’s tender, delicate crumb and avoid a tough, dense texture.
- Coffee Temperature Matters: Use hot coffee to enhance chocolate’s deep, rich flavor profile and create a smoother, more integrated batter.
- Buttercream Technique: Whisk egg whites and sugar carefully in a double boiler, ensuring precise temperature to achieve glossy, stable meringue base.
- Chill for Perfection: Brief refrigeration helps buttercream set and allows flavors to meld, resulting in a more cohesive and intense taste experience.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg