#BWBO Week 4 - Irish Cream & Chocolate Dessert Cake

Dessert week is upon us and this week I decided to take a trip down memory lane, to about 3 weeks ago. This week I have created a devilishly rich chocolate with a luxurious alcoholic twist. Although it is in cake form, this is definitely not an every day, lunchtime treat, this is a grown up dinner party worth dessert.

Of course, there is not enough alcohol to make you even sightly tipsy, but I would be wary providing this cake to children and other people who need to avoid alcohol.

You could always take the easier route and use a dollop of hand whipped vanilla cream with this, but I think the homemade caramel drizzle will show your culinary prowess off to your friends and family. Or so they think. The additional caramel sauce is really easy and if it doesn't all get used, it can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks to use on ice cream, in coffee or just on a spoon (I definitely haven't eaten this straight off the spoon. Okay, I have.).

Just on a quick side note, I won star baker last week! Don't forget to check out my prize winning sea salt and rosemary focaccia! I am so happy with the end result and I'm over the moon that the lovely people at Silver Mushroom thought the same.

For the cake:
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C Fan / Gas 4 and grease 2 8-inch cake tins
2. Add all of the ingredients apart from the buttermilk and coffee. Stir until fully combined
3. Slowly add the buttermilk and stir in
4. Add the hot coffee and stir, the batter will be of liquid consistency
5. Bake for 35 minutes then allow to cool for half an hour in the cake tin

For the frosting:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 4 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Irish cream

Method:

1. Mix together all of the ingredients until fully combined

For the caramel sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 cup double cream

Method:

1. Melt the sugar over a medium heat
2. Once the sugar is melted, stir in the butter immediately
3. Once the butter is combined, add the double cream slowly whilst stirring and allow to boil for one minute
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool