I am she…the one who cried wolf. The one who has said at least ten times or so here on S&C that this is the BEST something or other EVER! But what if it is? Will you believe me this time? Have I whittled away your trust? I sure hope not because the only loser in this equation is YOU if that is so.

Let’s reconsider that last statement. I am NOT calling all of my readers losers. Well, I don’t think so anyhow. I am actually just saying that if I have blown your trust to smithereens, although it may be my fault entirely, if you don’t believe me this time, you will be so, so sorry because this IS the BEST chocolate cake I have ever made (I am fairly certain).

This Chocolate Feather Cake from Rose Levy Beranbaum in Heavenly Cakes is actually heaven on earth and so aptly part of her well named book.

But, of course, I Genified it. Basically, in layman’s terms, I got it good and drunk. It was a birthday cake for my cousin, and I was certain that a celebration cake warranted a little extra spirit. So I switched out most of the water for Kahlua, threw in some Espresso, added a Kahlua Ganache AND a Kahlua icing, and oh boy.  It literally might make you dance and sing—um— on the table tops mind you, preferably clothes still on.

The texture is feathery as its original name implies, and the flavor is rich and so very chocolaty with the extra zing from the liqueur and Espresso, and the word, “mmmmmm” can’t help but escape from your mouth.  Perhaps that is the only logical explanation for why this cake was mysteriously missing two slices from the bundt ring that I made him.

—Which is why I decided to slice it up and place it on a platter instead of serving it as a whole cake. I don’t think he suspected a thing. But, in my defense, I HAD to taste it first before giving it away as a present. It was my first time making this cake and I had messed with the recipe so entirely that it didn’t really resemble the original version so I HAD to know that it was up to par. Right? Glad we agree.

Thanks for having my back. I will officially retract my original statement about you being a loser. Make the cake, eat the cake and  have a better life. That’s all folks.

Chocolate Kahlua Cake with Kahlua Ganache and Kahlua Icing

Inspired by Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe in Heavenly Cakes but totally Genified
Serves 12-14…it’s very rich
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality avail. but not Dutch Process)
1/2 c. Kahlua
1/4 c. very hot water
2 1/4 c. cake flour
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. + 6 T. of unsalted butter softened just a bit (one stick + 6 T),
3 eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. water
1 T. instant espresso granules
2 T. boiling water
1/4 c. Canola oil

To Make the Cake: Place Kahlua in a microwave safe dish and heat for one minute on high to boil it. Place your cocoa powder into the hot Kahlua and whisk until smooth. Add the 1/4 c. hot water to thin it out a bit. Let rest while doing all other steps.

Take one rack out of your oven and place the bottom rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour through salt and mix on low speed to adequately disperse the dry ingredients.

Add your butter and chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and beat together on medium speed until fairly creamy. In a medium-sized mixing bowl beat together eggs, vanilla, Canola oil and 1/2 c. of water.

In a very small microwave safe dish, heat the 2 T. of water for 30 seconds. Add the 1 T. of espresso granules and mix together until espresso dissolves. If the espresso does not dissolve, heat it up for another 15 seconds or so. Add the espresso to the liquid ingredients. Pour the liquid ingredients into the chocolate batter and mix on medium-high speed for a minute or until creamy and smooth, scraping down the bowl now and then.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on the bottom rack (which should be on the bottom third of your oven) for 45-55 minutes or until barely firm when touched and toothpick comes out clean. It may need longer with a silicone bundt pan but I have not used one so I wouldn’t know.

Kahlua Ganache
Taken from Mission Food Service (of all places?!)
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into small bits
1.5 oz butter (I used 3 T.)
3 oz . heavy whipping cream
2 oz. kahlua liqueur

To make the ganache: heat the chocolate pieces and butter in a microwave safe dish for one minute. Stir, and heat for another 45 seconds or until fairly melted. Stir until smooth.  In a microwave safe liquid measuring cup, heat the cream and Kahlua for 45 seconds or until hot but not boiling.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Let cool a few minutes before pouring over cake.  Use the liquid measuring cup to drizzle the ganache back and forth in a “v” pattern over the cake. Let the cake sit at least 30 minutes before pouring Kahlua Icing over, or refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Kahlua Icing
I measured nothing. I simply threw some powdered sugar in a liquid measuring cup (maybe 3/4 a c.) and poured in Kahlua until it was drizzle-able (is that a word?) Then I drizzled icing over ganache back and forth in a “v” pattern again.

BONUS RECIPE! Kahlua Truffles Use the extra icing and ganache after frosting the cake and mix them together in a bowl.  Refrigerate the combine icings all day and later scoop them into balls using either a small spoon or mini ice cream scooper. I rolled them in unsweetened cocoa powder and voila, I had the most amazing Kahlua truffles in history! What a way to use left-overs!