Equipment
Ingredients
Cocoa Cake
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 50 g dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 5 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 240 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 240 ml hot water
Whiskey Coffee Soak
- 120 ml whole milk, warmed slightly
- 150 g sweetened condensed milk
- 60 ml whiskey
- 5 g instant coffee powder
Boiled Caramel Glaze & Topping
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 200 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 80 ml heavy cream
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 g salt
- 10 g dutch-processed cocoa powder
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 508 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 69 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 50 g
- Sodium
- 347 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 65 mg
- Potassium
- 246 mg
- Calcium
- 106 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 41 mg
- Phosphorus
- 142 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 123 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 15 mcg
- Water
- 68 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
- Caffeine
- 25 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F. Grease a 23x33 cm baking pan with baking spray or a thin coat of butter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until evenly distributed and no lumps of cocoa remain.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, and buttermilk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Carefully pour in the hot water and gently mix until the batter is smooth and thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, prepare the soak. In a medium bowl, dissolve the instant coffee powder into the slightly warmed whole milk. Add the sweetened condensed milk and whiskey, whisking until thoroughly combined.
Remove the cake from the oven. While the cake is still warm, use a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the surface, spaced about 2 cm apart. Slowly pour the whiskey coffee soak evenly over the entire cake, allowing it to absorb completely. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
To make the caramel glaze, melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil continuously for exactly 2 minutes without stirring.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately carefully stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Pour the hot caramel over the cooled, soaked cake, spreading it gently to the edges with an offset spatula if necessary.
Allow the glaze to set at room temperature, then transfer the cake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, use a fine mesh sieve to dust the top generously with cocoa powder.
Chef's Notes
- Using hot water in the cake batter blooms the cocoa powder, releasing its maximum flavor potential and creating a richer, darker crumb.
- Poking the cake while it is still warm is crucial. A warm cake has an open crumb structure that readily acts like a sponge for the whiskey coffee soak.
- Do not walk away from the boiling caramel. Exact timing is necessary to hit the sweet spot between a runny sauce and a hard praline. Two minutes yields a fudgy, sliceable layer.
- Dusting the cocoa powder just before serving ensures it does not absorb the moisture from the caramel and turn dark and patchy.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Keep tightly covered to prevent the cake from drying out and absorbing fridge odors.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in airtight individual slices. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Troubleshooting
Caramel glaze is grainy and crystalline
Cause: Sugar crystallized on the side of the pot or the mixture was stirred too vigorously while boiling
Fix: Cannot be fixed once poured, but taste will remain delicious
Prevention: Do not stir the caramel once it reaches a rolling boil, and brush down pot sides with a wet pastry brush if sugar crystals form
Cake collapses in the center
Cause: Cake was underbaked or the oven door was opened too early
Fix: Proceed with the soak and glaze; the dense center will still taste excellent as a fudgy dessert
Prevention: Test doneness with a skewer before removing from the oven entirely
Glaze sets too hard and cracks when slicing
Cause: Caramel was boiled for longer than 2 minutes, reaching a higher sugar stage
Fix: Dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts to slice smoothly
Prevention: Use a timer exactly when the mixture reaches a full boil
Cultural Context
This dessert bridges the comforting, communal traditions of the classic American Texas sheet cake with the soaked, luxurious decadence of a Latin American tres leches. By introducing the bold, warming elements of an Irish coffee, it transforms a humble potluck favorite into a sophisticated, adult-focused celebration centerpiece.
