Drunken Sunken Irish Coffee Chocolate Cake with Salted Baileys Cream
Irish Coffee Chocolate Cake with Salted Baileys Whipped Cream
Irish Coffee Chocolate Cake with Salted Baileys Whipped Cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 9 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- 1/3 cup stout (i used guinness)
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick+5 tbs)
- 6 eggs whites and yolks separated
- 1 3/4 cup almond meal/flour (ground almonds)
- chopped chocolate and cocoa for dusting
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1-2 tablespoons whiskey (i used 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons baileys
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Carbohydrate 44.1910494303902 g
- Cholesterol 115.380415448412 mg
- Fat 60.4512563785753 g
- Fiber 4.51702403195748 g
- Protein 8.74379620124925 g
- Saturated Fat 36.8260085991361 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (266g)
- Sodium 237.610060168692 mg
- Sugar 39.6740253984327 g
- Trans Fat 4.41170660645749 g
- Calories 746 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and line a 9-10 inch spring form pan with cooking spray and parchment paper.
- Place the chocolate, stout beer, instant coffee and butter in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and gently cook (over the lowest heat) until melted and smooth. Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla. Cool slightly.
- Add the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the eggs yolks and almond meal until smooth.
- Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold half the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen and then fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until just cooked through. The center should jiggle and be soft. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache. In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until melted. Once melted stir in the Bailey's and a pinch of salt. Pour the ganache over top the cake. Allow the ganache to set up slightly before adding the whipped cream.
- To make the whipped cream, use an electric mixer to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the Bailey's and salt, whip until combined.
- Top the cake with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa if desired. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
How does a dense, fat-laden batter manage to rise without chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda? The secret lies entirely in mechanical aeration. Flourless cakes that rely on whipped egg whites operate on the same physical principles as classical soufflés, trapping microscopic air bubbles within a protein network that expands under heat.
When chocolate, butter, stout, and coffee melt together over low heat, the mixture forms a rich base that must cool slightly before the egg yolks are incorporated to prevent premature curdling. Whipping the whites to stiff peaks requires absolute bowl cleanliness; even a microscopic trace of fat from the yolks will prevent the proteins from bonding around air. Fold half of those whipped whites aggressively to lighten the heavy chocolate mass, then gently incorporate the remainder using a rubber spatula to preserve the precious volume.
Baking at 325 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes ensures the interior stays remarkably moist, yielding a center that retains a slight jiggle when tapped. Using fresh eggs yields tighter, more stable protein strands during whipping compared to older eggs whose albumen has thinned out, resulting in a taller and more resilient crumb structure. Pouring a warm ganache infused with Irish cream over the cooled surface bridges the gap between bitter dark chocolate and dairy fat.
