Chocolate Bourbon Cake and Chocolate Marble Cheese Cake

Chocolate Marble Cheese Cake.

A few weeks ago a friend asked me to bake desserts for a party for 100 people at a local country club for this weekend.    I have completed the task and am relieved to have it done.  There are 3 cakes 2 cheesecakes and 6 dozen cookies.  Most of the recipes have already been shared with you but these two had not been although I have made them both before.  They are both chocolate involved but are a little different.







Lorenzo's Chocolate Bourbon Cake is from a local restaurant of the same name and  the recipe is given in "Once Upon a Time, Recipes and Recollections from a River City"  by the Junior League of Evansville, Indiana.  I hope you enjoy it.

Lorenzo's Chocolate Bourbon Cake.

This is a deep dark black chocolate cake flavored with coffee, bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate.




Ingredients for Lorenzo's Chocolate Bourbon Cake:

1 3/4 C. hot brewed coffee
1/4 C. bourbon
1 C. (2 sticks) butter cut into small pieces
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate cut into small pieces
2 C. sugar
2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
pinch of salt
2 eggs at room temperature
1 t. pure vanilla extract

Combine the coffee, bourbon,butter, and chocolate in a large metal or glass bowl.  Let it stand covered, until the butter and chocolate are completely melted.  Meanwhile preheat the oven to 275 degrees, yes it is 275, not a misprint.  Butter and flour 2 nine inch cake pans and set aside.  I also line mine with parchment and butter and flour it also.  When the butter and chocolate have melted whisk until everything is well blended.  Whisk in the sugar and cool to room temperature.

Sift the flour, soda, and salt together into another bowl or onto a sheet of waxed paper.  Whisk half at a time into the chocolate mixture.  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.  Pour into the 2 prepared pans.  Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool in the pans on wire racks.  You may refrigerate in the pans to frost later covered with plastic wrap as it is easier to frost a cold cake.

To remove from the pans, run a knife around the inside edges of the pan and invert, tapping on the bottoms of the pans to loosen the layers.  If the layers stick slightly, place the pans over low heat, moving them constantly to prevent scorching. (I have never had to do this.)  Remove from the pans and frost.

Note:  This cake is lovely with a basic chocolate butter cream or chocolate ganache.

Ingredients for Chocolate Marble Cheese Cake:

1-10" Spring Form Pan

Crust:

1 3/4 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C. melted butter
1/4 C. sugar

Filling:

3-8 ounce  packages of cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 T. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.   Generously butter the sides and bottom of spring form pan.

Blend the crumbs, butter, and sugar together.  Press onto the sides and bottom of a well buttered spring form pan.  Set aside.

Melt 1/4 C. semi sweet chocolate chips on a glass bowl over simmering water and stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.  

Mix the cream cheese and sugar for 3-5 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat the entire mixture scrapping the sides occasionally for a full 30 minutes.  Remove 1 C. of the filling and blend with the melted chocolate.  Pour the remaining batter int the crust.  Spoon the chocolate at intervals then swirl to marble just before baking.  Bake for 55-65 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  Serve as is or chop additional chocolate and sprinkle over the top.  Refrigerate until serving time.