Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Whiskey Ganache

Christmas Day is only three weeks away!  It's a busy and exciting time of year. No doubt, some of you having already begun your Christmas baking.  This is the time of year we like to count our blessings and not our calories ;)

We are blessed with a wonderful family and wonderful friendships.  Last weekend, we were invited to watch the Big Ten football championship game between our Wisconsin Badgers vs Ohio State at the home of one of those good friends.  Sadly, the Badgers lost to Ohio State (congrats to them).  I offered to bring dessert and already knew the cake I wanted to bake to inaugurate my Kugelhopf bundt pan.  The dessert was definitely a winner!

I had recently received a wonderful new cake cookbook called Cake, I Love You that I had won from one of my long-time blogging buddies, Debbie, at Mountain Breaths and wanted to use something from that cookbook also. 

So, I went ahead with the cake I had planned to make and picked a delicious ganache recipe from my new cookbook!  It was truly wonderful dessert that received rave reviews from everyone.

This bundt cake recipe has been adapted by many...Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, Food and Wine, etc.  It's a chocolate-sour cream cake that is moist and rich.  The ganache is dark and creamy with a hint of Irish Whiskey and Espresso. 

I did make a silly mistake though.  I waited a little to long to pour the ganache over the cake and it 'puddled' in spots.  I can tell you from my experience, do not try to take a hair dryer to soften the ganache.  It starts to separate :(  I should have added a little more warmed cream instead.  It certainly didn't affect the taste though, thankfully.  So good!

Another wonderful recent surprise was receiving this adorable tea cozy from another long-time and dear friend,  She knows how much I love MacKensie-Childs, as you can tell from my cake platter above and Christmas platter in the background of this photo.  Hand made from a talented knitter who created the design for her and just for me! So Stinkin' Cute! ♥ A gift I will cherish for years.

If you need a simple but very delicious recipe to bring to a holiday party that will feed 8-10, this is it!  Add a little whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or raspberries for an very special treat.

And, the whiskey is totally optional :)

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Whiskey Ganache

Printable Recipe

For the cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa (I used Ghirardelli)

½ cup brewed espresso or, 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved into 1/2 cup water

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Ganache Glaze:

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

6 oz  60% bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli), chopped

2 tablespoon butter, softened 

1 Tablespoon Lyles Golden Syrup or light corn syrup

1 teaspoon brewed espresso (or ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder)

1 Tablespoon Irish whiskey, such as Jamesons or Bushmills

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Spray a 10-12 cup bundt pan or Kugelhopf pan with nonstick spray (I prefer Bakers Joy).  You may also butter the interior with softened butter and dust with flour.

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large saucepan (large enough to hold all cake ingredients). Add the cocoa powder and whisk until any lumps have disappeared.  Stir in the espresso and remove from heat.

Add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs to the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Pour it into the cocoa mixture and whisk until well blended, scraping the bottom and sides to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the bundt pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Place a large platter over the bundt pan and carefully invert the cake onto the platter. Allow to rest for a few minutes. The cake should release itself onto the platter at which time the pan cake be carefully removed.  Allow to cool completely before adding the ganache. 

For the Ganache (Adapted from Black Irish Whiskey Cake from Cake, I love You by Jill O’Connor)

Place the chopped chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl 

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream and espresso.  Bring just to a boil, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes to soften and then stir, starting from the center and stirring outwards, until the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream.

Add the butter, golden syrup and whiskey and stir until combined.   Allow the ganache to cool for about 10 minutes before pouring over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides and interior.  If your ganache is too thick, add a little more warmed cream.

Keeps at room temperature, covered, for 4 days. 

Chocolate Pecan Meringues with Easy Berry Sauce

Two words of advice - Valentine's Day. It's this week!  If you are looking for an easy but impressive dessert to serve your sweetheart, this is it. 

Only a few simple ingredients are needed to create these beautiful, swirled puffs of chocolate and cocoa.  The recipe calls for espresso powder which is easy to find at the store, but if you'd like to try making your own, I've included directions below.

The cool and dry indoor humidity of winter is the best time to make meringues. Shatteringly crisp on the outside but chewy and decadent on the inside, these are sure to impress.

Alone, these cookies are delightful, but if you wish, you can make a simple frozen berry sauce in less than 30 minutes.  Topped with a scoop of fine vanilla ice cream and berry sauce, you can turn the meringues into a spectacular dessert.  Be sure to use a very sharp serrated knife to cut the tops off of the meringues or they could shatter and break.  If you prefer, you can use the back of a spoon and make a shallow indentation in the top of the meringues before you bake them (think of the pre-made sponge shortcake indentation).  Or, simply fill an ice cream dish with ice cream and berry sauce and serve the meringue cookies on the side!

Whatever your plan for Valentine's Day, whether it's spending time with your special loved one or by yourself watching a good movie with a bowl of meringue cookies, I wish you a very happy day!

Chocolate Pecan Meringue Cookies

Printable Recipe

3 large room temperature egg whites*
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar*
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped* (optional)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
Pinch of salt

*Tips: Place whole eggs in a dish of warm water to get them to room temperature more quickly. If you have a coffee/spice grinder or a food processor you can make your own superfine sugar by pulsing several times. Roast pecans in a 350F oven for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop finely.

Preheat oven to 225F and line a 18 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Place egg whites into a medium bowl and add the cream of tartar. With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites at low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Turn the the speed up to medium and add the sugar while beating, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. This will take about 1 minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the meringue and fold in gently with a spatula to incorporate. Only fold a few times, you want the the meringue to look marbled.

Spoon eight 1/2-cup mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet. Using the back 
of a spoon, gently swirl the meringues into approximately 3 inch rounds, making a peak at the top. If desired, you can use the spoon to make an indentation in the top of the meringues if you wish to use them as a base for ice cream and berry sauce.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the meringues are firm on the outside but still chewy in the 
center. Cool completely.

Meringues can be stored in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper, for about a week.

Adapted from: Chocolate Chip Espresso Meringues from Food and Wine

Simple Frozen Berry Sauce

Printable Recipe

2 cups mixed frozen berries (organic preferred) such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
1/4 cup sugar or honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Place berries in a small saucepan. Over low heat, allow the berries to thaw and soften until they release their juices. Add the sugar or honey and turn the heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness, if necessary.

Remove from heat and mash berries with a large fork or pastry blender. Add the fresh lemon juice and allow to cool.

Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. May be reheated gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds when ready to serve.

How to Make Your Own Espresso Powder

This makes about 1-1/2 tablespoons of espresso powder.

If you have an espresso maker at home, after brewing a double shot, save the grounds or ask your barista to give you the grounds after you order your next espresso drink at the coffee shop.

Spread the grounds on a small baking sheet and spread them out to dry.

Preheat the oven to 300F and place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the grounds to toast for 30 minutes.

Allow the grounds to cool and pulse them in a coffee/spice grinder until finely ground.