Kahlua is a coffee liquor made from Mexican coffee beans and other ingredients like rum, corn syrup, vodka, and sugar. It has a high amount of caffeine. I believe Kahlua goes thru a seven-year process of making and has a long shelf life of four years.
Kahlua cake recipe
Cake batter
Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C/Gas Mark 3 Grease and line 3 x 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Dry ingredients – Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside Wet ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Next, add eggs one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract and Kahlua.Pro tip– ensure the eggs are at room temperature or the batter will curdle. If that happens just add a tablespoon or two of flour and combine well. Combine – Then, add flour mixture and sour cream alternating in three batches.Pro tip – since whipping cream is thick the batter looks a bit stiffer than regular vanilla cake but the cream will melt in the oven so don’t add any more milk Divide – Scrape the sides of the bowl, ensuring you have a smooth batter. Then, divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans.Pro tip – use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan so it bakes evenly. Bake – Transfer to the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.Pro tip – I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely. Always cool cakes completely before you decorate or store them away.
Kahlua buttercream frosting
Chocolate – Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler – set aside to cool. Whip– In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter with Kahlua and vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the sugar is in continue to whip on medium-high until light and fluffy. Fill & frosting – Use the Kahlua vanilla buttercream to fill in between the cake layers. Then, add fold in the melted cooled chocolate to make chocolate Kahlua buttercream to frost around the cake.
Assemble
Prepare simple syrup – cool completely before using.Pro tip– Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist. Using a bread knife or cake leveler cut the domes off the cake layers. Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup Fill – Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with a big dollop of the Kahlua vanilla buttercream – spread evenly with a straight-edged spatula. Top the second cake layer on top followed by more frosting followed by the third layer.Pro tip -if you plan to move the cake again, it is best to use a cake circle under the cake on the cake stand, so you can pick the cake with its base and without any accidents. Chill – Place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes so the layers hold together. Pro tip – Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don’t move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need. Frosting – Next, spread Kahlua chocolate butter on top and around the cake.Pro tip – A straight-edge spatula for the top, an off-set spatula, and a bench scraper for the sides work better. Rustic swirl – Spread the remaining frosting around and on top of the cake. Create a rustic buttercream look by simply swirling the spatula in a circular motion. Border – You can put any remaining frosting in a piping bag and pipe swirls on top of the cake. I place some white and milk chocolate balls because I ran out of frosting.
Storage
Once decorated the cake does not need to be refrigerated. It can stay at room temperature for three days or in the fridge for up to a week. Once cut always cover the cut side of the cake with cling/plastic wrap so the cake does not dry out.
Frequently asked questions
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