Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe (2024)

A moist and rich cake, but I found crust dry and a tad bitter. So, the next time I prepped the pan with fine sugar instead of flour. I also reserved 4 ozs of the bourbon and made a glaze using it and butter, sugar, a drop of brown icing gel and vanilla. A keeper!

This has become my foolproof go-to bundt cake secret weapon. The crumb is so fine that it can be sliced super-thin if serving a crowd. This cake also stays moist for days -- and is notably better the second day after mellowing so I recommend making it a day ahead. The character of the whiskey or bourbon you chose is prominent enough that it adapts well to individual tastes or preferences based on which you select. Once I used Four Roses bourbon and Five Roses flour to make a 9 Roses Bundt. BOOM!

The first time I made the batter I was tempted to lock all the doors, turn off the lights and ladle every drop of it down my throat. I got hold of myself and poured the batter into the pan. The cake was marvelous! I am about to make it again and am so happy to see all the notes on this.

This is an amazing recipe. Use good whiskey and chocolate: I always use Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Sharffen Berger chocolate. Excellent with a dollop of plain (not sweetened) whipped cream.

This is the best chocolate cake I've made in 60+ years of baking. I've used whisky, rum and a chocolate stout...all are wonderful. I've also put in soaked dried tart cherries , or bits of prune. Ganache sometimes, though it really doesn't need it. Great texture and mouthfeel. Freezes beautifully. And garners moans of delight whenever I serve it.

Excellent cake. Brought it to a potluck and it was quickly devoured and raved about. The bourbon flavor may seem overwhelming prior to baking but it mellows out beautifully and is thoroughly balanced by the chocolate. I took the advice of prepping the Bundt pan with butter and superfine sugar instead of flour which was a great idea. I only had a 12-cup Bundt pan which worked out fine but it was perfectly done at the 50 minute mark, so keep an eye on the timer.

use cocoa powder to dust the pan instead of white flour.

Well, I forgot 1 of the sticks of butter and this cake was STILL delicious! Can only imagine how good it is when you remember all of the ingredients...

This cake is incredible. I was a little nervous when I saw the 1 cup of bourbon, but I had to try it anyway. I am SO glad I did. This cake is a hit in this house. It is a moist, dense cake with fantastic flavor. I used 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate and 1 oz. of bittersweet chocolate. Buffalo Trace was my bourbon of choice for this. I love its flavor here. You might not want to test too much of the batter before baking. And definitely don't let the kids lick the spoon :)

This cake is a continuous ask. I make it for all the grown up kids' birthdays and occasions. And the best part, is how moist it is the first and the last day. I used to freeze part of it, but it never lasts long enough to warrant having any to save. The quality of both the chocolate and cocoa make a huge difference in taste, so do use the best you can afford!!!! If you add some raspberries along with unsweetened, bourbon flavored whipped cream, it looks and tastes like a party!!!!

This is a fantastic cake. I've made it a number of times and it is always a crowd pleaser. So moist and it can be made ahead of the party. This time I only had 3 oz of unsweetened chocolate (Scharffen Berger) so I used 2 oz of a bittersweet chocolate and cut the amount of sugar by a couple of tablespoons. This cake is easy (butter your Bundt pan well), quite nice to look at, and delicious. A winner!

OUTSTANDING!! Very fine crumb, very flavorful, and keeps moist for days at room temperature. Not too sweet, just perfect! I followed advice to use sugar (regular not superfine) to coat pan instead of flour. I also baked it for 1 hour instead. I sprinkled an ADDITIONAL portion of bourbon over the warm cake as the recipe calls for. When cool, I sprinkled with powdered sugar. This cake is 6 days old and still wonderful! I made it a day before the first serving for the flavors to meld. YUMMY!!!

Best way to sprinkle cake with whiskey (or any other "watery" liquid) is to actually use an atomizer. It allows for absolutely even distribution over the entire cake. I use this method quite often on numerous cakes and other breads and pastries. The best part? Enjoying the "leftovers" in a shot glass!

I have made this cake twice now. The first time as written. It was a tad dry but I’m guessing due to over baking and under beating. The second time I used white rum instead. It was... extraordinary. The rum was a far better match than whisky. I also used bittersweet chocolate and cut the sugar by a 1/3 cup as well as a dash of Ceylon cinnamon and half espresso, half instant coffee for less of a harsh bite.

Too much bourbon remained in the cake. The flavor was overpowering and not burnt caramel, as advertised. It just didn’t evaporate sufficiently from the center of the Bundt; the flavor was good on the outside. Made the day before serving, as recommended. Used Makers Mark—seems now to have been a waste of good bourbon.

Family loved it! Didn’t have any whiskey so I substituted with dark rum. Worked very well but pouring the rum over cake was too much- and I like rum! Next time, I’ll do the dark but won’t soak it. Making again for Easter Brunch and the fam is excited for more

Made this just last night for our annual St. Paddy’s feast—and it was a hit! I read that several folks found the crust a bit bitter and since I have family with sweet teeth, I drizzled with a browned bourbon butter glaze. Tremendous!!!

Ours slightly collapsed in the center, not sure why. Didn't matter - flipped it over and it still looked great. The cake is delicious. We did serve with fresh whipped cream.

This cake is over-the-top delicious and great for the many large dinner parties we host. The hint to dust cake pan with superfine sugar is spot on. I didn't have any so put a bit of regular sugar into my mini blender and whirled it. The last time I made it I had some heavy cream that wasn't going to last to I made creme fraiche with it and that was the perfect accompaniment for the cake - offset the richness without adding any more sweet - or last minute whipping of cream!

Add sour cream 1/2 cupwith the eggs and ginger and cardemommeGlaze with 1/2 cup bourbon and sugar with ginger and cardemomme in a syrupReplace cake’s sugar with dark brown sugar initially Has gotten raves

Wishing for metric, 5oz of chocolate is volume or weight.l? Using Belgian becolade baking disks hard to judge 5oz not like those grocery store chocolate 1oz squares. Nice batter, made in Cuba so used rum and liquid espresso shots. Nice alternative to the silver palate cake

Another winning recipe from Melissa Clark! This cake was simply delicious. I made it with top shelf ingredients including Oban single malt, grass fed butter, and pure organic Madagascar Vanilla. The only ingredient I needed to sub was a high end instant coffee powder for the espresso. Since my Bundt pan held 9 cups, hubby and I indulged in testing the remaining 1 cup of batter…heaven! This was a hit with my son and son-in-law who hosted dinner. We topped it off with vanilla bean ice cream!

Love it! This is my favorite cake. Not sure why any other cake recipe is required now that we have discovered the perfect cake. I agree with others it tastes better the following days as the bourbon or whiskey mellows.

No messing around here with a few tablespoons of spirits in the batter. Go big or go home with a full cup of bourbon - Maker's Mark in this case. The cake was dense and fudgey with a true kick. Served it with an equally decadent Tillamook ice cream. Took the tip to dust the prepped bundt pan with superfine sugar that not only produced a lightly crisp texture, but also created a mottled look that highlighted the pattern of the bundt.

Always a. Crowd ole! This time I made with bittersweet chocolate, as I didn’t have unsweetened. As always, it came out delicious! I also used brewed espresso instead of espresso powder and didn’t need to add the hot water. This time I served with crème fraiche instead of whipped cream and it was a perfect balance to the sweet cake. Perfect for any crowd - except maybe a bit too adult flavor for kids!

way too boozy--won't make again.

dang! I've made this cake so many times over the years and this is the first time it failed. Epic fail,too. About half the cake stuck to the bundt pan. It was also the first time I tried using superfine sugar instead of flour to dust the pan. Cause or coincidence??? (the part of the cake that did come out of the pan was great, of course!)

I've been making this cake for Thanksgiving for a few years and we love it! Especially great after a day or two. This year I forgot my bundt pan, so I baked it in a 9" springform pan — had to bake for a little longer (80-90 min) but it turned out great! We treat it like a Christmas pudding and warm a few tablespoons of brandy, then light it on fire and pour it over the cake. Glorious!

Used a 101 proof bourbon (DryFly) and the booze came through very well! Skipped soaking and it was still plenty boozy.