It’s like soaking in a delicious spa! Sit back, relax and wrap your taste buds cozily around this delicious chocolate Black Russian Bundt cake, drenched with Kahlua and...ZOWIE! You have a dark chocolate cake that amasses tons of flavor!
It’s a not too dense, thick black Bundt cake with Kahlua soaked into it giving it even more moistness. That’s part of its deliciousness – the moist texture. It’s downright delightful, light and tender. Not dry and flaky like so many homemade cakes.
This is a special recipe that I realized I needed to make because of a couple of dear friends. We like to dine at Lehman’s Supper Club in northern Wisconsin. It’s a special supper club with loads of wonderful memories with our boating friends. The cozy lounge, the wonderful and personable staff, and of course, the hot popovers, relish trays, homemade buns, French Onion Soup along with delicious prime and seafood. And, the desserts are to die for! This Black Russian Cake is one of those delicious memories.
Once you’ve been there, you’ll wish you lived in the neighborhood so you could experience all that wonderful food every week. It’s an extraordinary place to relax, dining and chatting with best friends, and introduce to newbies.
So, anyway, the last time we dined there, we were introduced to a couple of their delicious desserts – Black Russian Bundt Cake and French Silk Pie. Out. Of. This. World! And, once I get a taste of anything extraordinarily out of this world, I need to explore, research and try to duplicate it. Well, this recipe is my version of their Black Russian Bundt Cake.
Later I’ll work on the French Silk Pie, simply because Lehman’s pie is a dense, but…Melt. In. Your. Mouth…silk pie. It will definitely be fun trying to duplicate it, develop it and taste-test it.
This recipe serves 10-12 people.
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
Prepare your 10" Bundt cake pan or two 6" Bundt pans:
-Lightly butter your clean and dry Bundt cake pan, making sure you cover every single little crook and cranny. Any unbuttered spot can potentially create a “missing” piece of cake when you turn it over to release the cake form the pan.
-I like to make this in two separate 6" Bundt pans. I freeze one for the next month or to take to a friend's home.
-Add a couple tablespoons of sifted cocoa powder or dry chocolate cake mix to the buttered pan. Make sure the cocoa powder has been sifted in order to eliminate any lumps. Lumps can leave bitter tasting pockets of cocoa powder. Rotate and pat the sides of the pan so that the cocoa powder moves around to cover the entire pan, including all indentations and crevices. Some recipes call for spreading flour inside the pan instead of cocoa powder, but flour can leave unsightly white spots around the outside of your Bundt cake. A light layer of cocoa will enhance the flavor of the cake without leaving white blotches around it.
-Turn the pan upside down and lightly tap out any excess cocoa powder. Set aside.
Gather up the Ingredients:
18.25 oz Chocolate Cake Mix, dark
5.9 oz Chocolate Pudding Mix, Instant
4 Eggs
½ C Sugar
1 C Vegetable oil
¼ C Vodka
½ C Kahlua
½ C Water (or more Kahlua)
Gather up the soaking mixture Ingredients:
¼ C Kahlua
1 C Powdered sugar
Gather up the Kahlua Coffee Glaze Ingredients:
¼ Cup Kahlua
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 T Coffee powder or espresso, dry
Mix and bake your Bundt cake:
-With your electric stand mixer, lightly whisk the dry boxed mixes together.
-Beat in the eggs, sugar, oil, vodka, Kahlua, and water. Beat for 4 minutes on medium low.
-Pour into your prepared Bundt cake pan(s).
-Bake at 350F degrees for 40 minutes for a 10" Bundt pan. NOTE: If you are making the recipe in two separate 6" Bundt pans, bake at 350F degrees and set the timer for 30 minutes. I check it at the 25 minute mark and check it for doneness by lightly pressing on the top of the cake. If it springs back it is done. If the indent stays, it needs more baking. The last time I made the two separate Bundts, it took the entire 30 minute. Your oven may bake differently.
-Do the final check with the clean toothpick test for doneness. After dipping a toothpick in the middle of the two edges, if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Otherwise, bake a bit longer until the toothpick comes out clean. (Don't leave the toothpick in the cake while baking.)
-Let the cake set on a rack for about 10 minutes in the Bundt pan.
-With a thin plastic utensil, slide it around all the crooks and crevices to loosen the cake from the sides.
-Place a serving plate upside down on top of the cake. Flip it over and let the cake release itself from the pan. It should pop right out. Lift the pan off and you ill have a beautiful Kahlua-Soaked Black Russian Bundt Cake.
-With the rounded side of the Bundt cake up, poke small holes into the top of the cake, about ½ - ¾ of the way through to the bottom, with a long-tined fork or thin skewer.
-Set aside while you make the soaking mixture.
Whisk the soaking mixture and slowly pour over the cake:
-In a small bowl, whisk the Kahlua and powdered sugar together. It should have a thin consistency in order for the mixture to soak into the holes you poked into the cake. I like to warm the soaking mixture for a few seconds in the microwave to help it pour out and soak into the cake.
-Slowly pour just a little of the mixture over the top of the cake so it soaks into the holes. If it’s too thick to soak in, add a little more Kahlua. Then continue to slowly pour the rest so it soaks into the cake.
-Tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a couple of hours.
Make the Kahlua Coffee Glaze:
-Use dry espresso powder here or grind your own. For the coffee powder, I like to grind my own decaffeinated coffee beans – three times. I choose one of my favorite flavors, like vanilla hazelnut or vanilla crème brulee.
-In a microwave safe mixing bowl, whisk the Kahlua, powdered sugar and coffee powder together until you have a nice drizzling consistency.
-Microwave it for 5-10 seconds to thin it out a bit. As it cools on the refrigerated cake, it will set nicely.
If you think it’s too thick, add a little more Kahlua. If you think it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
-Drizzle it on the refrigerated Kahlua-Soaked Black Russian Cake, letting it drizzle down the valleys of the Bundt cake. Yum!
Options:
-If you love Kahlua, don’t be afraid to soak the cake straight with it. But, be careful not to add too much or the cake will be too “wet.” Then serve it in a puddle of Kahlua with chocolate covered coffee beans.
-Whipped cream can be a wonderful garnish for this delicious Bundt cake.
-Accessorize with some bright red fresh strawberries alongside or even chocolate covered coffee beans.
Storage:
-I store this Kahlua-Soaked Black Russian Bundt Cake easily under a dome in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, instead of at room temperature. To me it tastes best on the cool side. Place the cake on a plate and place it in the refrigerator and then overturn a large bowl over it. Easy!
-To store it in the freezer for up to a month, tightly wrap the entire cake or leftovers in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container. I opt to leave the drizzled topping off the cake until I take it out to serve. Just let the cake thaw overnight in the refrigerator and drizzle it the day you serve it.
-Or, slice the cake and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. Then place them all in airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Grab and go with a slice when you want. It makes for a quick snack or a tag-a-long for lunch.
Don’t miss out on this Kahlua-Soaked Black Russian Bundt Cake. It’s so delicious, tender and moist with wonderful flavors. Plus, it's easy to make! It’s a chocolate and coffee lover’s delight. Whoever you share it with, be sure to “Bake your own Memories!”
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