National Chocolate Cake Day!

....is actually tomorrow (January 27th). But since the Ham Sandwich has other obligations to attend to this evening, she is honoring the day a tad early and letting her coworkers reap the delicious benefits.

And damn if it isn't delicious.

From the endless source of ideas that is Epicurious.com, I present to you my interpretation of their Chocolate Whiskey Bundt cake:

Chocolate Whiskey & Kahlua Bundt Cake (because more booze = more better)

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus 3 tablespoons for dusting pan
1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
1/4 cup whiskey

1/4 cup Kahlua (or other coffee liquor)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache:
3/4-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon instant coffee/espresso powder

Special equipment: a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter bundt pan well, then dust with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

Heat coffee, whiskey, Kahlua, butter, and remaining cup cocoa powder in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until butter is melted. Remove from heat, then add sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool 5 minutes.

While chocolate mixture cools, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk into cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly). Pour batter into bundt pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack.

When cake is cooled, warm milk in microwave and add instant coffee/espresso powder, stir until dissolved. Melt chocolate chips and butter over a double boiler (or in increments in microwave). Add milk and coffee mixture gradually, stirring to reach a pourable consistency. (You may not need to use all the milk.)

Drizzle the ganache over the cake, allow to set.

EAT!