Hello friends, first up — I'm being a little lazy by bringing back the recipe that launched the now-gone Rad Dishes blog (but does still happen to be on the tiny website that remains in its place). I guess I jinxed myself a little by saying I felt optimistic about taking on more cooking experiments in 2022, though I still stand by what I said, because I've been more active in the kitchen than I had been for a while. This whole reemerging into society thing is just very preoccupying (and 75% of my life, including social activity, focuses on the new puppy). But speaking of, I made this cake again recently as some friends came to visit, and while I didn't bother taking a new photograph, it remains a simple bake packed with a ton of flavor, so I thought I'd re-up it in the newsletter.
RECIPE: Chocolate Bourbon Delight Cake
This cake was my first true baking experiment. It was inspired by a cocktail I had at a bar that custom-made drinks upon request. A fan of bourbon, I asked for a drink that also included orange and cardamom flavors... and as I drank it, I found myself thinking about how well it would all pair with chocolate. After finding a bourbon cake recipe via I Am a Feeder, I made a cake with those added orange and cardamom elements, and was quite happy with the result. This is a very boring cake to look at, but it sure doesn't taste boring (and you can always try different things with it — I once decorated it for a holiday party using a stencil and powdered sugar. This time, while serving it, I simply included a side of homemade whipped cream, using a basic recipe via Sally's Baking Addiction. It would probably pair very well with vanilla ice cream if that suits you). Check it out here:
Ingredients
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (roughly chopped)*
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter softened
5 tablespoons bourbon (I usually use Maker's Mark)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 1 and 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Recipe
Butter a 9-inch springform fan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl using a double boiler.
Once the mixture has melted, stir in the bourbon. Remove the bowl from heat and set it aside.
Mix your dry ingredients, including the ground cardamom, together in their own bowl.
Whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
Add the bourbon/chocolate mixture to the egg/vanilla mixture and
whisk until evenly combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix them together.
Add the orange zest at the very end and mix to combine.
Now pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out. Bake for 20-25 minutes (check to see if a toothpick/tester comes out clean when poked through the center).
Let the cake cool. You can either serve the cake as is or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, as mentioned above.
Notes
* I prefer to work with baking bars when prepping the chocolate, but have sometimes mixed chocolate from a bar and chocolate chips into the butter in the past.
Adapted via A Thought for Food / I Am a Feeder
Food for Thought
“Losing My Ambition,” a recent article in The Cut, may very well explain why I didn’t try to take some new artfully styled photo of the cake above for this newsletter. It seems that many of us are feeling a version of this these days. (Which is why I’ve been adamant that hobbies are hobbies and not a side hustle for me right now.)
Bites of Culture
I’m writing with the music from the opening credits of Apple TV+’s Pachinko stuck in my head, which is my way of saying check out the show. I read the novel years ago and while parts of it are fuzzy to me now, I was excited when this adaptation was first announced and think it’s really well done so far. (As are those opening credits!)
I also just devoured Starstruck Season 2 on HBO Max…
… and enjoyed the book Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson quite a bit. (It does jump around between characters and timelines, but it’s a compelling read with some genuinely poignant moments.)
Thanks for reading this edition of Rad Dishes! You can follow me on my occasionally updated Instagram account. A streamlined version of Rad Dishes (the original food blog) is here.
Earlier Newsletters
Cocktail-style Chicken Meatballs
Strawberry and blueberry clafoutis