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Favorite Recipes: Easy Black Russian Chocolate Chip Cake (has alcohol) from Mix (11 ingredients)

Recipe Author

Name: Lenore D. (Lenore)
Total Recipes: 2

Details

Title:

Easy Black Russian Chocolate Chip Cake (has alcohol) from Mix (11 ingredients)

Dish: Desserts
Dish Type: Other
Cooking Method: Baked
Difficulty: 3 / 10
Servings: 16 - 24
Prep Time: 5 - 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients
Directions

The above Ingredient adding thing doesn't let you separate them by what you'll need for the Cake and what you'll need for the Glaze, and the resulting jumbled list was confusing looking, so I just put it all here:

BLACK RUSSIAN CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

This cake is exceptional with plain vanilla ice cream, or try serving with ice cream and warm bananas sauteed with vanilla (beans or extract), butter and spiced rum.  OMG!  It never fails to get RAVES whenever I make it, and people always demand the recipe!

For the CAKE, you'll need:

18.5 oz. pkg yellow "extra moist pudding-in-the-cake mix" (but regular will do)
4 eggs, lightly beaten (or, subst 8 egg whites *if you use jumbo or XLG eggs, you may only need 7 whites* OR 1 cup egg substitute, such as egg beaters - it will not affect flavor and will cut 20g fat from the entire cake)
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil (canola is best - low in sat fat)
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder (you can substitute 1/2 cup espresso to replace the water and coffee powder mixture, but it tastes best with instant)
1/2 cup of your favorite quality vodka
1/2 to 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
butter flavor cooking spray, for the pan

For the GLAZE you'll need:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (don't replace with low fat butter substitutes, yuck, I've tried)
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar (DON'T try to replace with Splenda or other sugar substitue, I've tried and its disgusting.  I've cut this down to 1/2 cup before, its not bad. Its best to stick to white sugar, not natural/raw or light brown because its harder to tell if the mixture is getting over cooked - white sugar will start to turn brown and you can turn the heat down if necessary)
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Kahlua

*****Optional additions*****
**Add 1 to 2 tsp vanilla extract to cake mix (I added 2 tsp for the cakes I made)
**Substitute other liqueurs for the glaze - keep the vodka but use Bailey's Irish Cream (makes the glaze a milky white color, though), Patron makes a coffee tequila I've been dying to try, or try Godiva chocolate liquor.  I've also used Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum with Kahlua, which was also good.
**I've tried doing this with chocolate cake, in my opinion its not as good - chocolate overwhelms the other flavors - but you can substitute chocolate cake mix and try it for yourself - for a ridiculous boost to the chocolate flavor add 1 tsp unsweetened sifted cocoa powder to the cake mix. 
**In regular layer or rectangular pans, I prefer regular size chocolate chips, but IF you are using a bundt or tube pan, since the bottom of the cake will become the top when you turn it out, and it should be "pretty," you should use mini-chocolate chips.  Of course you can use them in other pans as well, but specifically with the bundt and tube pans, I've noticed that the heavier "regular" size chips sink to the bottom and burn, sticking to the pan - then when you turn it over you get gaps and broken parts at the top of the cake.  The mini-chips disperse better and stay suspended more evenly throughout the batter.

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to whatever the cake mix box says is appropriate for the type of pan you will be using, usually 350 degrees.  Disregard the rest of the directions on the box.
2) Chop then toast the nuts in the preheating oven
3) spray the pan with non-stick butter flavored cooking spray
4) dissolve the coffee powder into the cold water, mix thoroughly to avoid clumps
5) mix all ingredients except chips and nuts (cake mix, eggs, water/coffee mixture, oil, and vodka)
6) add toasted nuts and chips after the other ingredients are combined.
7) Bake for recommended time, usually about 30-35 min for a sheet pan, up to 50 or 60 for a bundt or tube pan, depending on your mix...check by inserting toothpick or skewer until it comes clean or has a few moist crumbs.
8) Remove pan, and allow to cool a bit while you make the glaze (which has to be poured over while the cake is still warm)
9) Prick top and sides of cake with skewer or whatever you have

GLAZE:
1) Melt butter in saucepan. 
2) Stir in water and sugar. 
3) Allow mixture to come to a boil.  Boil exactly 5 min, stirring constantly, and being careful not to overheat.  On a standard electric range this is medium high to high.  On a gas range, this may be medium or medium low.  WATCH mixture.  If it begins to turn brown around edges the heat is too high and it will taste burnt, turn down heat immediately!
4) Remove from heat after 5 minutes, and IMMEDIATLY stir in the 1/4 cup each of vodka and kahlua.  This will burn off just enough of the alcohol.  I do keep the heat on for a bit and let more cook off if I'm serving to kids :)
5) Drizzle glaze evenly over top and sides, but allow time to absorb each scoop or ladle of glaze before applying another. 


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