When Cravings Strike – Chocolate Kahlua Cake

Last week I had a craving.  It started when I accidentally fell upon some “Fantastic Cakes” show as I was channel surfing.  That is really all it took.  That and the fact that this particular recipe lets you cheat and make things a little faster.  I’m going to sum this recipe up by saying, “I’m pregnant people, what more do you want from me?”

Double Chocolate Kahlua Cake
Adapted From the Cake Doctor
Cake -
1 package Moist Deluxe Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix (see – cheating!)
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup Kahlua
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Chocolate Kahlua Buttercream Frosting -
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons boiling water
2 Tablespoons Kahlua
1 stick unsalted butter – at room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. (The flour dusting is essential to the cakes coming out clean and intact so don’t skip this.) 

2. Make your cake.  Need more detail?  Fine. Put your cake mix, cocoa powder. Kahlua, buttermilk, oil and eggs in a bowl.  Mix until incorporated on low speed (30 seconds), scrape the bowl and beat for two more minutes.  In other words, put all of your cake ingredients together and mix them up until it looks like delicious chocolate goo.

3. Divide your batter evenly between your two cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula after pouring. Bake them for 25-30 minutes.  They are done if they “spring back” when you lightly push your finger on them. (wash your hands thank you very much)

4. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes.  Then run a knife along the edge and give the bottoms a good pat/shake to loosen the cake.  Turn the pans over on a wire cooling rake  Let your layers completely cool. (20-30 min) Don’t be impatient or your icing will melt and run right off of it and your layers won’t stick.

5. While cooling, make your frosting.  Bring your 6 T water to a boil.  Add teh cocoa powder and Kahlua to the boiling water.  Stir with a spatula until it comes together to form a soft ball/mass.  Dump into your mixing bowl and add your butter.  Beat together until it is well combined but soft.  Add in your powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Beat on low for one minute to combine.  Then increase the speed to medium high for at least two minutes until your frosting is light and fluffy.

Frosting Tip:
When making a two layer cake, don’t stack your layers with both upright.  Turn your bottom cake layer upside down so that the flat side that was on the bottom of the pan is facing upward.  This way, you have a flat “surface” to attach your top layer to with the frosting without the angle making it slide.  Your top layer will be upright so that the bottoms of both cake layers (bottoms being what cooked on the bottom of the pan) are together.

Delicious With Berries and Ice Cream!