Creme de Cacao Chocolate Cake

 

I made this cake for my Grandpa's birthday this year because his favourite is chocolate cake with vanilla icing - a simple but always delicious dessert. I experimented just a little and infused the cake and icing with some Creme de Cacao liqueur to amp up the chocolate flavour and help Grandpa really celebrate, hehe ;). Of course this is a more adult-friendly cake because of the liqueur, so you may not want to make it for your next child's birthday party! The liqueur makes this cake super moist and chocolatey, and it's a perfect party cake.

Ingredients:

1 and ½ cup flour

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1 Tbsp. vinegar

6 Tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup water

1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3-4 Tbsp. Creme de Cacao liqueur

Vanilla frosting or whipped cream mixed with 3 tsp. Creme de Cacao liqueur
Chopped chocolate for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a square or rectangular cake pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. If you use a square cake pan you will get a smaller, thicker cake and if you use a rectangular pan you will get a larger, thinner cake. Baking times will have to be adjusted for the different pan sizes.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, vanilla, and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes if using a square pan or 20-25 minutes if using a rectangular pan. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. Let cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then gently turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Place the cooled cake on a serving platter. With a toothpick, poke holes evenly over the surface of the cake. With a pastry brush, brush the Creme de Cacao over the cake. You can use less or more liqueur depending on how strong you want the flavour to be.

 Stir 3 tsp. of Creme de Cacao into the vanilla icing or whipped cream and frost the cake once the surface has dried. Sprinkle chopped or shaved chocolate over the frosting to garnish.

*Recipe by Brooke McMillan