Dressed for any fancy celebration, Gentlemen’s Chocolate Cake has a slightly boozy flavor with rich ganache glaze.
Name origins.
According to The Chocolate Bible, a Gentlemen’s Torte is a many-layered Sachertorte that is soaked with booze. Other books on the subject say that almost any cake could be called a Gentlemen’s Torte if it is doused with enough whiskey. But this is a cake for everyone, in my opinion. Who doesn’t love a good boozy chocolate cake?
This sheet cake is generously brushed with whiskey and a covering of ganache helps retain a lovely damp crumb. When I spotted the “Décor Smoking” cake decoration tutorial in my new Patisserie book there was no question it had to happen. It’s as simple as cutting a triangle of fondant and folding in two edges – anyone can do it!
The chocolate cigarettes on the corner of the cake were an afterthought because – oops! I accidentally grazed it with my wedding ring. I was really sad when that happened because the cake’s surface was so perfectly mirrored and shiny. I like them on the cake though, and I think they make sense on a cake dressed as a smoking jacket. Chocolate cigarettes are perhaps the least alarming cigarettes of them all, am I right? I found them at World Market in the baking ingredients section if you’re looking to buy them.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I ate three pieces of this cake yesterday. It reminds me of a chocolate cake from my favorite Italian restaurant – but better! The whiskey gives it a sophisticated flavor, but it’s not overly boozy on the tongue. The fact that it’s a sheet cake makes it so simple to whip up, but if you’re looking for layers, the batter can be baked in two 9-inch round cake pans. You can find baking times for both versions in the recipe below.
Gentlemen’s Chocolate Whiskey Cake
Equipment
- 13×9 baking dish
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 2 cups/190g all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 cup/85g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups/398g granulated sugar
- 1 cup/200g vegetable oil
- 1 cup/8oz hot coffee
- 1 cup/242g whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 oz. whiskey
Chocolate glaze
- 1 1/2 cups/300ml heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 9 oz./250g bittersweet chocolate 60-70% cocoa
- 3 tablespoons/ 50g unsalted butter
Bow tie and shirt decor
- 4 oz. ready made rolled fondant red
- 1 oz. ready made rolled fondant white
- 3 black pearl dragees
- 2 chocolate cigarettes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. in a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add oil, coffee and milk; mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 more minutes. Expect the batter to be thin.
- Pour the batter into a 13×9-inch greased and floured pan or two 9-inch round pans and bake the 13×9-inch pan for 40 minutes. If using the two 9-inch round pans, check them at 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. Place the cooling rack on a large baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, coat the cake with the whiskey. Allow the cake to stand 20 minutes to absorb the liquor.
- For the glaze, bring the cream and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl. Pour half of the hot cream into the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 2 minutes, then stir the mixture slowly with a wire whisk. Add the remaining cream and whisk slowly until smooth. Add the butter and stir until the chocolate in smooth and shiny. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- Pour the glaze over the cake and cover it completely. Use an offset spatula to smooth the surface and wipe off any excess glaze. Lightly rap the rack on the baking sheet to even out the glaze. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Scrape the excess chocolate from the baking pan into a bowl and heat it again in the microwave or on the stovetop until pourable but not hot. Place the cake on the rack on top of the baking sheet and cover the cake a second time with the ganache. Smooth with a spatula and rap the rack again to even the ganache coating. Refrigerate again until set.
- Run a sharp knife under the edge of the cake to loosen it from the drip rack. Use two cake lifters or two large spatulas to transfer the cake to a cake board or serving platter.
- For the decor, lightly grease a work surface with white vegetable shortening. Knead the red fondant until smooth and pliable. If it is too dry, then knead in a small amount of shortening. Roll out the red fondant to 1/8-inch (2-3mm) thick. Cut a triangle almost as long as the cake. Fold over the two upper corners to create shirt lapels. Lift the piece with a long spatula and place it on the center of the cake. Roll out the white fondant and trim it into a small rectangle, just long enough to make a bowtie. Gather it in the center to shape it. Cut a very small strip from the excess white fondant to make the center of the bowtie; wrap it around the gathered center of the bowtie. Pinch away the excess fondant strip on the backside of the bowtie. Place the bowtie in the center of the red fondant lapels. Press three black pearl dragees evenly spaced down the center of the cake to create shirt buttons. Cross the chocolate cigarettes and place them on one lower corner of the cake, if using.
Simply stunning! That book looks like something I could get into. The darker the dessert, the better and this cake sure fits that bill.
Amazing as usual Heather! I think this will be the first cake I make when I am moved and unpacked! Looks good!
That sheen! Is it weird that I want to be enrobed in that chocolate glaze?
This is beyond gorgeous, and I think the cake grazing was a happy accident because those chocolate cigarettes are too perfect!
What a beautiful cake! Perfect for Gentlemen everywhere! :0) I might have to make this for my particular gentleman sometime!
I love the chocolate + spirits combo. Wedding ring foul or no, I think your ganache looks pristine and perfectly glossy. I have ganache envy! Well, I guess I have cake envy now, too. 🙂 I'm going to have to look into that Patisserie book, too…
looks awesome……………..
Wow that looks amazing! Definitely worthy of a fine gentleman. 🙂
Dear Heather, this is such a decadent cake. It sounds absolutely wonderful. I love how your dressed it up. I wouldn't be able to help myself either!
Blessings dear, Catherine xo
Beautiful! Btw, how did you do the sprinkles on the bottom?
This is amazing! Not only does it look shiny and gorgeous (I really like the "accidental" chocolate cigarette decoration, btw), it's something I just want to sink my teeth into as a chocoholic. It just looks delicious!
What a gorgeous cake to serve on Father's Day or for a wedding. It's really striking.
Wah ^^ I have the same book And this cake cought my eye ^^ Lovely ur so awesome! Have ur book too. Love from Portugal!
Simply gorgeous and mouthwatering! I have an upcoming groom's cake order that I planned to cover in chocolate fondant, but I may try to convince the bride to let me do ganache!
Brilliant !
Your work is just so, so, so beautiful! I'm always beyond impressed!
The decoration is just unreal! I am sure I wouldn't able to make it 😀 but the cake itself..is definitely worth trying 🙂
Oh heather, I love this cake so so much!! The things you come up with blow my mind 🙂
This looks absolutely amazing! It would also be super easy to swap out some ingredients to make this delicious cake a vegan one. For example, instead of using whole milk you could use almond milk (which in my experience is just as creamy). The butter is also easily replaceable with Earth Balance. I can't wait to give this recipe a shot.
Gorgeous! So in awe of your cake decorate skills 🙂
Heather
You mention that we can use marzipan instead of fondant — can you give some more details?
That is one dapper looking cake!
I love it Heather!!And thanks for the video!! xoxo
Heather, just stunning.. you make everything looks so easy ( i know it's not going to be as ideal when i make it :-). I love how smooth and shiny your shirt is, just pure perfection. The chocolate cigars add class 🙂
Am i missing something on fondant cakes?! I LOVE them, they are so much prettier than frosted cakes, and i much rather eat sugar than tons of industry-made Crisco. Why do people don't like fondant cakes? Are they too sweet?
Wow that looks stunning. Brillinat decoration, so simple yet sophisticated. The texture of the choc cake looks amazing too
I absolutely love everything that you do….XO
I really enjoyed watching this cake come together on the video. The ganache is so very smooth and the cake turned out perfectly! You are so artistic, Heather!
I would like to make this is as a layered round cake instead of the sheet cake (it's for a friend's bday party). What flavor of frosting between the layers would complement the cake and ganache do you think?
So so lovely! Would've been perfect for Father's Day. Not sure how I missed this post! xo
How did you decorate the edges with sprinkles? Am I imagining it or is there frosting under there? I ask because I don't have two large spatulas or cake lifters and I don't want the edges to look messy. I'm planning on making this for my husband's birthday cake next week.
Hi there- making this on Saturday, but using the 2 round 9" cake pans. Any thoughts or suggestions of what to put in between the cake layers? Plain chocolate frosting? Or a whiskey buttercream frosting?