Brought To You By the Letter C

There are good cakes, and then there are good cakes. This is a story of the latter.

Setting the scene: prep work for this confectionary experiment found me in a liquor store on a snowy day, searching for a particularly unfamiliar ingredient. Hubby Love and I are from teetotaling families, the both of us, and neither one of us imbibes Adult Beverages. Don't know much about them either. I was, therefore, at the mercy of the barely-English-speaking lady behind the counter.

Me: I'd like a small bottle of bourbon, please.

Liquor Store Lady: Here you go {handing me a teensy vessel labeled "Whisky"}.

Me: Umm, thanks, but I need bourbon.

LSL: Yep.

Me: This says it's whisky.

LSL: {Looking at me like I am an idiot} Yep.

Me: {Feeling truly lost} I really just need some bourbon, and I'll be out of your hair.

LSL: {Sounding exasperated} Bourbon IS whisky.

Me: Ooooo-kay. {Still confused}

End of scene.

I later consulted friends who are far more well-versed in the world of boozedom than I. Turns out, there is a particular distilling/refining process that turns some kinds of whisky into bourbon. I still don't quite have a handle on it, but bottoms up to all you aficionados out there.

So I forked over my $1.62 and got on my way to bake my Cake of Sin {Clarification: Sinful as in hella big calories, since science tells us that all the ethanol of bakes out. Riiiight. Feel free to enlighten me as to where I am headed and why I am in this handbasket, but only after you have sampled the fabulosity described below. I'm fairly sure the folks Down Below already have a seat warming for me anyway.}

The consensus: this recipe is ridiculously amazing. It is very nearly a flourless cake, and is so dense and velvety that it almost melts in your mouth--no exaggeration. There is no need to frost this little beauty. If true love has a flavor, I just found it--very dark, rich, complex, silky, and not too sweet. For the chocolate devotee in your life, make them oh so happy by serving up a sliver of this. Make it for Valentine's Day. Or for Tuesday. Or for I'm Making An Impressive Dinner Day. Just make it.

We are liquor lightweights, and neither Hubby Love nor I could taste the bourbon. {Of course, we didn't know what we were looking for either, so we may not be the best judges.} A taste-testing friend swore she could feel it "burning on the way down", but I call Drama Princess on that count. Next time around, I don't plan to bother with the bourbon, and you shouldn't feel the need to use it if that's not your style. It didn't add anything special to the palatal experience, and it tends to be an out-of-the-way ingredient. If you do roll the way of the hard stuff, though, rum or even a dash of rum extract might play a good flavoring substitution. So grandma says.

Tip: If you don't have a 9 x 3 inch cake pan, use a standard 9 x 2 inch pan and line the sides with a collar of upright 3-inch-wide strips of greased wax paper or parchment paper.

Bourbon Chocolate Cake

From The Best of Fine Cooking, Chocolate Edition, Winter 2006

Bourbon Chocolate Cake, January 2009 ~ by Katie

11 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped {Use best quality possible ~ Callebaut or Valrhona are excellent. Baker's brand is quite affordable, easy to find and did the job.}

6 oz. (12 Tbs.) unsalted butter

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 oz. (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup bourbon

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract {I like almond extract for a different kick}

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350. Butter a 9 x 3-inch cake pan {or line a shallower one on the sides}. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and butter the parchment. Set the cake pan in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate it.

Melt the chocolate and butter together, either in a double boiler over medium heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each heating. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

With an electric mixer {a stand mixer with whip attachment or a hand mixer}, beat the egg yolks with the brown sugar on medium speed until very pale, thick, and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed, add the chocolate mixture, and mix just to combine. Add the flour, mixing just to combine and scraping the bowl as needed. Blend in the bourbon and vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

In a clean, dry mixing bowl with clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt on high until they hold soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Set the roasting pan on the oven rack and add enough warm tap water to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until the top feels set, 40-45 minutes. Remove the cake pan from the water bath and run a paring knife around the inside of the pan {or the inside of the parchment collar} to loosen the cake and then let cool completely in the cake pan on a rack. When cake is completely cool, loosen the sides once more with a paring knife. Cover the cake with a serving plate and invert the cake onto the plate. The bottom of the cake is now the top. Peel off the parchment. {Don't worry if the surface looks a little ragged; you'll be dusting with confectioners' sugar.}

To serve: Top with sweetened whipped cream and dust with confectioners' sugar. Accompany with a large glass of milk.