Mocha bourbon layer cake with cream cheese frosting

A nice simple cake with lots of flavorOverhead view of top of cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate caramel or crispy bonbons

You know how it is when you're craving chocolate, nothing else will do. Also, we had 2 boxes of these chocolate bonbons filled with white chocolate or caramel or hazelnut and I knew I had to feature them on a cake !


Here's the recipe : 

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, softened
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons of instant coffee in 1/4 cup hot water, cooled to room temp
3 tablespoons whisky or bourbon

Whipped cream frosting :
1 cup whipping cream |
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened 

Melted Chocolate :
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup whipping cream

I had to take a picture in front of the sunset !


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 175 degrees C. Line round baking pans with parchment paper. 

Melt chocolate with a couple of tablespoons of butter. In a bowl, cream remaining butter and sugar, add eggs one by one and mix about 2 minutes. Add the other wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Pour batter into pans and bake about 25-30 minutes or until the middle is firm, or test that a pick comes out clean. After 15 minutes of cooling, remove from pans and remove parchment paper. Continue to cool on a rack.

For the cream cheese frosting, whip cream until it forms soft peaks.  In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese until softened and creamy with confectioners sugar, then fold in whipped cream.

For the chocolate cream, melt chocolate with a tablespoon of cream in the microwave or over stove, add remaining cream and stir until well mixed.

Once cakes are at room temperature, place one disk face down on a serving dish. Brush a bit of coffee liquid (1/2 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup of hot water with 1 teaspoon sugar, cooled to room temperature) on cake. Once absorbed, pipe a thick layer of cream or spread a layer with a spatula. Add second disk layer, right side up, pipe or decorate with cream, drizzle with melted chocolate, then decorate with chocolates, bonbons, candies or sprinkles.

Enjoy, everyone!

Another summertime shot of cakeWe had fun shooting and eating the cake!