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Glazed chocolate Kahlua cakes on a wire rack with parchment paper below.

Kahlua Chocolate Cake

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5 from 8 reviews

If you like the combination of chocolate, coffee, and liquor, these glazed chocolate cakes belong to your recipe file. Whether you make mini cakes, one large bundt cake, cupcakes, or loaf, they're easy to make (one bowl) and incredibly moist.

  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 mini cakes

Ingredients

Units

For the cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
  • 2 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (80g) cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240g) milk
  • 1/2 cup (120g) of vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup drip (or espresso) coffee (very hot)
  • 1/2 cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup (160g) powdered sugar
  • 1 or 2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF /180ºC.
  2. Butter and flour or spray well with cooking spray, 12 mini bundt molds.
  3. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I measure everything and sift it directly over the wet ingredients.
  4. In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil for 1 minute.
  5. Add dry ingredients to the wet, ½ cup at a time, while beating on low speed. Do this slowly so the batter doesn't develop clumps.
  6. Heat coffee until almost boiling.
  7. Mix with liqueur and add slowly to the chocolate batter. The mixture will be thin.
  8. Fill molds up to ¾ of its full capacity. I put the batter in a glass measuring cup so it's easier to pour.
  9. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for mini bundts and 45 minutes for a big bundt.
  10. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
  11. Invert the pan and release the cakes. You might want to use a smooth-bladed knife first to make sure no bits of cake are stuck to the sides and the center tuve. If cake resists, cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting.

For the glaze:

  1. In a small bowl mix a cup of powdered sugar with 1 Tbs or more of coffee liqueur, depending on how runny you want your glaze to be.
  2. Pour glaze on top of cakes and let it drip to the sides.

Notes

  • Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
  • Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
  • Different pans: I love mini bundts, but you can use a regular large bundt or 2 medium loaf pans. I never tried this recipe as a layer cake and I think it would be a bit too tender to fill. But it would work baked as a sheet cake.
  • Preparing the pan: I brush it with soft butter (or use my hands), flouring and refrigerating the pan while you make the filling. Or use a baking spray that comes with added flour.
  • Glaze: use the liquor as stated in the recipe, prepared strong coffee, or a tablespoon of each. They all work great.
  • Storing: this is a very moist cake recipe and it keeps very well at room temperature, well covered in plastic wrap. The flavor is fudgier the next day. You can freeze it for a month, wrapped first in plastic and then aluminum foil.
  • Alternative liquors: a coffee liquor is what complements best this chocolate cake, but it works well with orange liquor (Cointreau, Grand Marnier), with almond liquor (such as Amaretto). And probably others I never tried. I use Kahlua because it's my favorite one, but there are other coffee liquors you can use.
  • Alternative glaze: use the chocolate ganache recipe from the best chocolate bundt cake, adding a tablespoon of Kahlua for an extra dose of chocolate. 
  • Author: Paula Montenegro
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Cakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/12
  • Calories: 383
  • Sugar: 43.5 g
  • Sodium: 301.3 mg
  • Fat: 11.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 64.1 g
  • Fiber: 2.6 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 33 mg