Box of Spice

Indian Cooking in Holland

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Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake with Whiskey Caramel Frosting

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Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice

2015 is nearly over. I wish I could lament on how sad I am to see this year go. But I think I will leave that for when 2016 has arrived, because even as we bring a close to a year that has brought joy and plenty sadness to not only our lives but maybe much more to others, this is the happiest time of the year. At least for me.

It is a time to be thankful for a year that has given me so much. It has brought me an immense amount of tears as well but I value them as I would my most precious jewels. I wear my tears as a warm blanket reminding me how grateful I am for the things I have and the people that share my journey with me. I am known to spend immense amounts of time thinking but this season truly is a time to look back and reflect.

In India, the festivities used to start with the coming of Diwali which eventually rolled into Christmas. Months of celebrations and parties. Months of the entire city being lit up as if it was a giant Christmas tree in itself. The early darkness and the city coming alive. The trees lit up as if they were adorned with jewels. It is a magical time and I want to hold on to it with all my heart.

This cake embodies everything that I feel. It is rustic, imperfect, dark, spiced and is made so deeply rich with chocolate and alcohol. It is a cake that feeds the soul with all its lavish combinations. And when you bite into it you feel the earth and know you belong to it.

Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice

For the frosting of this cake I turned to the mighty Linda Lomelino. We all know how amazing she is. 🙂

Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake I Boxofspice

 

5.0 from 6 reviews
Spiced Whiskey Chocolate Cake with Whiskey Caramel Frosting
 
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Author:
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • For the Chocolate Cake
  • 255 grams all-purpose flour
  • 180 grams butter
  • 85 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1¼ cups strong coffee
  • ½ cup whiskey
  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 100 grams light brown sugar
  • 1½ tsps baking soda
  • ¾ tsp fine sea salt
  • 3-4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1½ tbsp ground piment
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 cup dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

  • For the Caramel Sauce
  • 150 ml heavy cream
  • 200 grams granulated sugar
  • 100 grams cold butter, in cubes
  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes
  • 2 tbsp whiskey

  • For the Whiskey Caramel Frosting
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 180 grams granulated sugar
  • 250 grams butter, at roomtemperature, cut in cubes
  • ½ cup whiskey caramel (recipe above)
  • 2 tbsps whiskey
Instructions
  1. To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 160°C. Butter two 7-inch springform pans. Dust with cocoa powder.
  2. In a medium saucepan on low heat, warm coffee, whiskey, butter and remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. Whisk in the sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Slowly whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the dark chocolate.
  4. Divide batter into your prepared pans. Transfer to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
  5. Once completely cool cut each cake into half using a large serrated knife. Don't worry if it not completely even!
  6. For the caramel sauce, gently warm the cream in a small saucepan. Set aside.
  7. Put the sugar in another saucepan and heat on medium high until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Carefully swirl the sugar with a heatproof spoon until all the sugar has melted.
  8. Add the butter, piece by piece, and stir until melted. Carefully add the warm cream (it will bubble up so be careful!) little by little and stir until smooth.
  9. Pour caramel into a jar and let cool 10 minutes before adding salt and whiskey. Cool completely.
  10. To make the whiskey caramel frosting, pour egg whites and sugar in a double boiler. The bowl should fit snugly, and the water should not be touching the bowl.
  11. Whisk the sugar and eggs with a whisk constantly until the mixture reaches about 65°C. Just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and the mixture is hot to the touch, it's ready.
  12. Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool with an electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes.
  13. When the bowl feels cool to the touch, start adding the butter, piece by piece. Add the caramel and beat until completely smooth. Finally add the whiskey and mix to incorporate.
  14. To put the cake together, put one layer (you should have 4) of the chocolate cake on a cake stand and add ⅓ of the frosting and even it out. Place another layer on top and repeat the process till your final layer has been placed. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake on all sides. I've frosted to get a naked cake effect but you could completely cover the cake on all sides if you like.
  15. Pour some of the remaining caramel on top of your frosted cake. How much you use is up to you!
  16. I have used dried autumn leaves but you could decorate it however you please...

 

 

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Comments

    • Thank you so much Lauren! Almost always after the cakes I create are ready I find it so hard to cut them! haha… 🙂

  3. Lovely post and lovely cake, as usual!! This cake looks perfect for celebrating the year’s end and all the holidays it brings… especially with all that warm whiskey and chocolate 🙂 I can definitely see the Linda Lomelino influence here too! 😀

    • Thanks June! I really wanted to make a grownup cake and well alcohol then fits right in, doesn’t it?! 🙂

  4. Saw you registering on Indian Simmer, your name seemed new and the blog name looked very intriguing so I clicked on the link. I’m so glad I did Rakhee! You have created a beautiful space here. Amazing recipes you have cooking here and fabulous photography. You have a new fan today! 🙂

  6. Wow this cake is incredible! Excellent work! I will be making this tomorrow for a Christmas party. Thank you!

    • Thank you so much Abby! This cake is just perfect for Christmas because of all its flavours. Please let me know how it turns out! <3

  7. Rakhee, no doubt this time of year is a time for reflection, celebration and a renewed sense of starting fresh. It’s so very wise of you to be intentional about it too… taking time to reflect. It seems as though I blinked and we were just ringing in 2015… and here we are, one year later. I have so many goals, but yet haven’t accomplished them all. Will I ever? This cake…. the flavors, textures and presentation are just gorgeous my dear! The whiskey, cloves and coffee with brown sugar?? (I’m melting!!). I am curious though, what is piment? A spice? I’ve not heard of it. Thank you for this my dear! Here’s to a beautiful end of 2015!

    • I know right? I feel like I was just settling into 2015 and its already over. The spices in this cake are so warm Traci and are perfect for this time of the year! Piment is a spice I found in a grocery store here and it looks pepper corns and seems to combine the flavours of cloves and black pepper. Beautiful spice. If you can find it in the US you must must try and use it! Happy Holidays to you and yours dear Traci… <3

  8. These photos are so beautiful – the colours in the leaves are incredible, and set off the cake brilliantly. The recipe sounds like such a delicious, indulgent combination of flavours. Happy Diwali and Christmas!

    • Thank you so much Chez! This is the ultimate adult cake and everyone that I served it to, loved it… Happy holidays to you! <3

    • Thanks Jennifer! This cake was such a surprise to me too. I tend to put spices in everything. I can’t help myself! But this turned out to be flavours that truly capture the dark somber days here. Rich and spicy and dark…

    • Thank you so much Aysha! Its the first slice that’s always the hardest. 🙂 Then its usually stuffing as much as we can into our faces!!! 🙂

  12. This cake is absolutely gorgeous! I am truly in awe. Absolutely love how you decorated it! And I like your approach on the new year. I shouldn’t just be ready to leave this year behind so I can start anew, it is always good to reflect despite what happened.

    • What lovely compliments Linda. You know I love your space, your recipes and pictures. I spend too much time looking back! 🙂 but I do feel it is so important to try and be better…

  14. This is such a beautiful cake! I feel like heading to the kitchen and whisking away this recipe right now.. Such amazing pictures too!
    If I’m unable to find piment, can I make the cake without it? Or maybe use a substitute?
    Thanks a tonne for sharing this amazing recipe 🙂

    • You can replace the piment with cloves Nyamat. But half the quantity. So glad you like it! 🙂

  15. The leaf colours are great, did you colour these or are they natural and if so what were they?
    Going to be making this soon for my birthday and would like it to look as close to this as possible.
    It looks fantastic

  16. Hi there Dale. I’m so glad you are choosing this cake for your birthday! It such a winner in my opinion. And totally a grown up cake. 🙂
    The leaves are real, not painted and I’m not sure what tree they are from. Sorry! But you could forage whatever leaves in your own neighbourhood. I’m sure it will still be a stunner. Good luck! 🙂

  17. Great stuff, good time of year for the leaves with the weather turn colder now.

    Will take a walk later to see what looks good.

    Birthday not for a few weeks but pre-planning.

    May give a two layer cake a go as trial, well one cannot have too much cake!

  18. Hi there your cake looks so great would love to make it for my friends anniversary!
    But do not know how to use grams verses ounces
    When looking at the conversion charts it is not precise, do you have a USA version?
    Much thanks Joanna

  19. I made this recipe for a coworker. It was a smashing success. I slightly overcooked the caramel to make it slightly bitter and brushed extra whisky onto the cake when it just came out of the oven. Thank you so much! For those who are baking it, do not skimp on the spices. If you are in the US, use allspice for ground piment.

  20. Just came across this cake a few days ago and am keen to make it this weekend. The recipe doesn’t specify what kind of whiskey to use. I’m don’t drink much beyond wine, but I do know there are different types of whiskey. What kind was used in this recipe? Does anyone else have recommendation on what type of whiskey to use?

    • Hi Paula, you can actually use any generic whiskey. I know I did. The whiskey in the cake is subtle so it doesn’t really matter what sort you use.

    • Yes of course! I would cover it and not put it in the refrigerator. Just leaving it out one night is fine. Let me know how it turns out!

  22. Can you tell me what elevation you’re at? I’m at about 4,600” above sea level so I’m having to adjust recipes for my altitude. I really want to attempt this recipe vs just adding spices to a chocolate cake I already use…although I guess that is an option. Let me know what you think! Thank you!