Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake with Bourbon and Coffee
This cake has the ultimate trifecta of flavors! Chocolate, bourbon, and coffee all in one recipe? Yes, please!
This cake is a big hit with those who love chocolate (nothing surprising there), but oddly enough, it seems to be a crowd-pleaser for people who complain that chocolate cake is usually too sweet.
Making this cake is an experience unto itself, though; adding the coffee one spoonful at a time is slow but somehow soothing at the same time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ⅔ cups dark brown sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate melted
- 2 tbsp Bourbon
- 1 cup brewed coffee
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper — just shove a whole sheet in there (versus cutting to make it fit — this way no batter will seep through the cracks). Also, prepare a smaller loaf pan (or some other vessel such as a muffin tin) in a similar manner — I butter the smaller loaf pan well, and I never have issues getting the cake out.
- Cream the butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand-held mixer.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: You don't want a light, airy mass. Add the brandy and mix to combine.
- Next, gently add the flour mixture alternately spoon by spoon with the coffee until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter.
- Pour into the lined loaf pan, being sure the batter does not come closer than 1 inch from the rim of the cake pan or it risks overflowing. Pour the excess into the smaller prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. (I remove the smaller pan after the first 30 minutes.) The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won't come out completely clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave to get completely cold before turning it out. (Leave it for a whole day if you can resist.) Don't worry if it sinks in the middle — it will do so because it's such a dense and damp cake.