Chocolate Whiskey Cake

With a mid-term completed, the thesis in the hands of the second reader, and spring break here, I decided to celebrate by attempting a Chocolate Whiskey Cake in honor of St. Patrick's Day and American Chocolate Week. Unfortunately, Alice Medrich's book, Bittersweet (my chocolate bible) doesn't have any chocolate and liquor recipes that seem Irish, so I searched on-line for a cake that contains the ingredients I have and embraces the flavors I enjoy. The Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake (see left) adapted from the New York Times by Molly Wizenberg seemed to fit the bill.

I admit I felt like I was betraying my Alice by consulting a new chocolate diva. But through each step of this baking journey, Alice was constantly on my mind as I wondered, "WWAD? - What Would Alice Do?" I missed my Alice, whose instructions were always so clear, guaranteeing success. Molly's instructions... well, you'll see.

Originally intended to be a bundt cake using 5 oz of unsweetened chocolate, I cut the recipe in half to make a loaf because I only had one 4 oz 100% cacao bar. I didn't have any other unsweetened bars, and besides, with other recipes to be tried, a full bundt cake felt like it would be chocolate dessert overload requiring me to run more than the 21 miles I already run to keep my weight in check.

There are certain baking skills I feel like I'm slowing getting. Greasing and flouring pans, and melting chocolate are two of them. Skills which require use of the mixer, however, are not yet my forte, especially as I use my mom's old electric hand-held. No stand mixers here. It's still cumbersome for me as I try to hold the bowl and the mixer, scrape down the sides, add the ingredients, and try to not make too much of a mess in the process.

As I began the first part of the mixing, my initial attempt to "beat butter until fluffy" created globs that stuck to the blade things (whatever they're called) as I started it on "low." While Alice would've told me the speed, "high," "medium," or "low," Molly simply said to use an electric mixer. As I regrouped and switched to "medium," the butter began to loosen up and fluff. Or at least I think it was fluffed enough before the sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and melted chocolate were added. While Alice would've given a description of how long to beat and what the ingredients in the bowl should look like with each addition, Molly's instructions were a bit vague. Thus I kept wondering: Am I overbeating? Am I underbeating? Is this fluffy enough? Should I go longer? Shorter? Faster? Slower? WWAD?

Luckily Molly gave a few more instructions on the final steps as the flour and the coffee/whiskey mixture were added in thirds, and beat on "low." She notes that the final batter "may seem like there's too much liquid, but don't worry; it's okay." I sure hope it will be okay. The final product would be the tell tale sign, but as the smell of fresh mocha began to fill the air as the coffee/whiskey mixture blended into the chocolate-butter mix in the bowl, at least it was smelling okay. Luckily, I only had one incident of flying batter before everything was blended into a too liquidy batter which then needed to be scraped into the pan and baked at 325 degree.

For a bundt pan, Molly says, "1 hour and 10 minutes." For loaf panS (note the plural), she says, "start checking after 55 minutes." What about one loaf pan? I decided to check at 45 minutes, and I am glad I did because the toothpick came out clean. It was done, and maybe just a bit overdone. I needed to wait and see.

After 15 minutes of cooling, I unmolded the cake and attempted to "sprinkle the warm cake with more whiskey." Molly says to do this by shaking one teaspoon over the cake. She used three teaspoons for the bundt. May be it's a skill but the shaking of my one teaspoon led to more whiskey glops than an even sprinkling on the cake. After three teaspooned attempts on my half recipe, I called it quits. This was not working. WWAD?

As the cake cooled, it began to sank. It wasn't looking so pretty. Even the garnished powdered sugar couldn't hide its flaws. Cutting into it, I saw more denseness than the fluffy bundt-like cake quality I was expecting.

Tasting it, I definitely enjoyed the whiskey with the chocolate. There was a nice subtle chocolate bite which the whiskey helped to enhance. Very nice. Yet, there was a subtle "done" taste undertone that was present - not burnt, but it tasted done. And the texture was also a bit off. Not dense, not fluffy, somewhere in between as the loaf flattened. Not pretty to look at unfortunately -- or may be that's how it's supposed to look. Molly doesn't say. (The texture does look a little like the bundt picture above, doesn't it?)

Hmmm... Did I not fluff something long enough? May be my mom's baking soda was too old so the cake didn't rise? May be my halfing the ingredients in the recipe messed something up? May it's the whiskey? Oh Alice, what would you do?

Though a little disappointed with the final outcome, I must admit my Whiskey Chocolate Cake is still rather yummy and addicting. Sidestepping the "done" taste, I do like the chocolate bite and how the whiskey pairs with but does not overpower it. The texture is odd, but it grows on you. As I am still learning the science in baking, this attempt at a cake becomes a nice tribute to St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of engineers. When it comes to chocolate, however, it is back to "the book" for me - Alice's book, as bittersweet brownies are in line for my next "study break bake." Stay tuned.