Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake with Kahlua

Cake:

• 1 ½ cups butter

• 7 oz unsweetened chocolate- 99% cocoa

• 3 oz semisweet chocolate

• 2 ½ tbsps instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 cups of hot water

• 3 cups sugar

• 5 oz Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

• 1 ½ tsps vanilla

• 3 eggs

• 2 ¼ cups flour

• ½ cup cake flour

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

Place chocolates, butter and coffee into the top of a double boiler or a stainless steel bowl placed over simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon as it melts to combine. Place the sugar into a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add chocolate mixture to the sugar and mix until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Stir in Kahlua, vanilla and eggs. Now stir in dry ingredients until blended. The batter will be very runny. Pour the batter into a greased 10 ½" spring form pan and place the pan onto a baking sheet. Bake at 320º for 1 ¾ to 2 hours or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake completely. When cool, cut around the outside ring and release the pan. Leave the cake on the bottom round until it has been glazed.

Glaze:

• 10 oz semisweet chocolate

• 7 tbsps butter

Place ingredients into the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until melted, then remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. Place cake on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Pour glaze over the cake and spread it evenly over the top and sides. The glaze will harden as it cools. Cut cake across the bottom, releasing it from the metal round and slide it onto a serving plate.

Cream:

• 2 cups whipping cream

• 2 tbsps brandy

• 1 tbsp powdered sugar

Whip cream. Add brandy and sugar and whip until incorporated. Use to garnish cake.

Serves 16.