Maida Heatter’s 86-Proof Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

I have made this cake dozens of times over the years and every single time it comes out perfect. Intensely flavorful, moist, dense, no need for anything more than a dusting of powdered sugar to finish it. I brought it to a gathering of foodies once and it got disdainful looks for its simplicity until the first piece was cut and passed, then the whole cake was gone in a flash! All of Maida's recipes are superb, but this one is incredible.

I've been making this cake for years, every since I got the original book by Maida Heatter. It's great. However, I use only 1-2 TB of powdered coffee and 3 more of cocoa in the liquid. I have also used as much as a cup of bourbon for a New Year's party, and all the adults went crazy for it, but about 5/8 cup for the family. It is absolutely at its best after sitting for 12 hours.

"In a two-cup measuring cup dissolve the coffee in a little boiling water. Add cold water to the 1 1/2 cup line. Add the bourbon." Please explain. Are you suggesting "instant" espresso? Or are you starting with a 1/4C of espresso and diluting it?

actually, although it might sound weird, Canadian rye is fabulous. Kind of a burnt, caramel taste. I made it with Canadian Club (which I would never drink) and my friends now refer to it as "THE cake." "Are you making THE cake tonight?"

Have been making this cake since the 1980's. I use Amaretto instead of bourbon. A family favorite. Have served it with fresh whipped cream and without. A winner every time.

Unfortunately, the bourbon is a key flavor in this cake, so I would try a different one altogether. You could try our Chocolate Dump-It Cake or our Chocolate Streusel Pound Cake. Both rich and delicious!

The bread crumbs will add a delicate crunch that only enhances the cake. It can be omitted but ...

Espresso instant powder.

Any alternatives to tube pans?

For baking, any bourbon will do. Due to restrictions on what can be called bourbon, even the cheap stuff is alright. Ancient Age, Old Crow, or whatever you like. Wild Turkey is always a solid bet.

It does sound like the recipe actually calls for instant espresso powder rather than ground coffee. Please, clarify, because, otherwise, this cake sounds quite delicious and giftable.

Why would you substutute baking powder for baking soda? Maybe that's why it came out dense.

Jim beam black is strong and won't bake out. Jim Beam regular is great or a small batch is nice as well

I use a combination of bourbon and rum--tried it both ways and prefer the combination. Fantastic cake, have made it numerous times.

No, it calls for instant espresso. don't know why people are confused - just use what it calls for.

Forgot the instant espresso when shopping so mixed 30 g ground coffee with 8 oz bourbon and strained out 1/2 cup, infused for about an hour while I prepped everything else. The bourbon flavor was very nice, and I liked the light crumb of the cake. I agree with another reviewer that I was hoping for a bit more chocolatey taste, but I know I’ll be making this cake often in the future. Almond flour for dusting the pan led to no sticking but a tan outside of the cake, fixed with some powdered sugar

DELICIOUS, wonderful cake. Exactly what you’d expect from Maida Heater. I poke some tiny holes in the cake when it’s right out of the oven and drizzle about 1/4 c bourbon, then another 1/4 c or so once it’s removed from the pan. YUM.

I use KA Gluten Free flour and replace 1 stick of butter with Greek yogurt. The cake is dense, moist and flavorful. The bourbon is noticeable, but not too strong.

Has anyone tried making this into cupcakes?Unsure of the cooking time or if that would mess up the overall texture too much...

Warning: do not make this with regular instant coffee crystals. It WILL keep you up all night because it's a lot of coffee. Use decaf instant coffee crystals instead. Also a clarification: Other ppl seem unclear about the amount or type of coffee you are supposed to add. It's calling for a quarter cup of instant coffee crystals dry. Not a quarter cup of liquid coffee.

Would this cake freeze well? Has anyone tried? Wonder if the bourbon taste will vanish

This is a fabulous cake, probably my favorite. Sure, other cakes may be flashier (adding frosting perhaps), but this flavorful cake gets it just right: coffee, bourbon, chocolate wrapped up in a bundt form. Relatively easy and quick to make. I highly recommend that every cake lover try it!!

The cake is great. One correction: The time on the top says 50 minutes. The baking time suggested is 1 hour 15 minutes, plus making and cooling. Maybe it was meant to be 1 hour 50 minutes?

This cake is exceptional. As others have commented. Added a drizzle of ganache and silver sugar crystals on top and served for christmas eve dinner. Delicious for christmas breakfast as well!

One of my all time favorite cakes!Its impresssive, rich, delicious and simple all at once. Lots of character and a very memorable occassion cake.I've made this cake altering the alcohol by using Amaretto, or whiskey, or rum, and of course bourbon. Its always been a crowd favorite.I've been making this cake for 30 years.Thank you Madam Heatter for your courage, patience and creativity.

I'm sure I will not eat another cake again without comparing it against this one. My friend and I used Cafe Bustello for the espresso, and a half-pint of Jim Beam. It was better than good, though maybe next time we may try to make a peanut butter based frosting.

We've made this cake numerous times, and is one of our favorites! We make it with Amaretto rather than bourbon, and the nutty taste and sweetness are perfect. We also replace some of the water with milk. Always delicious!

Meh.I’m not sure what to make of this cake. I followed the recipe exactly, and have liked every Maida Heatter concoction I’ve made in the past. This one…I’m not a fan of. The extreme moistness is odd, like a cross between pudding and cake. For all the chocolate, the flavor is indistinct. The bread crumbs add a weird little of crunch. And considering two cups of sugar, the end result doesn’t seem sweet.

Beautiful flavor but cake would not come out of pan. I used a lot of bread crumbs (I thought) but evidently not enough. Will make again using a different pan (not Bundt).

Made as is, except in 9” square pan because I don’t have a Bundt. Baking time and temp still appropriate. The bourbon flavor was subtle after cooling, then non-existent the next day. The breadcrumb coating made an ugly medium brown color, so I served it uncoated side up for a more appealing rich brown.The texture was strange but not a dealbreaker. It was like a chocolate-flavored memory foam mattress. The crumbs didn’t make a delicate crunch; it made the cake seem prematurely stale and old