Chocolate Whiskey Cake

A Saint Paddy's Day favorite- nice and moist. Includes a delightful whipped frosting and sure to satisfy your craving!

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup raisins
• 1⁄2 cup walnuts (chopped)
• 1⁄2 cup  Irish whiskey
• 1 (12 ounce) package  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1  cup butter (at room temperature)
• 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar (divided)
• 8  eggs (at room temp- seperate yolks and whites)
• 1  tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• For Frosting

• 3  cups heavy cream
• 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
• 4  ounces  semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350~F.
2. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper; butter and flour paper.
3. Combine raisins, walnut and whiskey; let stand 30 minutes.
4. In double boiler over hot, not simmering water, melt chocolate.
5. In bowl with mixer at high speed beat butter and 1 cup granulated until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until light and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; beat in chocolate.
6. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and salt. Stir in raisins and walnuts.
7. In another bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
8. Beat in remaining granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of mixture into chocolate batter to lighten; fold in remaining mixture. Spoon batter into pans.
9. Bake 35-45 minutes or until inserted toothpicks comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; peel of waxed paper and cool on racks.
10. Frosting:.
11. In bowl with mixer at high speed beat cream with confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.
12. Spread top of 1 cake layer with whipped cream; top with other layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining whipped cream. If desired, sprinkle cake with chocolate shavings and curls.
13. Let chocolate stand in warm place 1 square on wax paper. In short strokes, slide vegetable peeler across surface; repeat with second square.
14. Press shavings onto sides of cake. For curls; place remaining chocolate on wax paper; pull peeler across in long, thin strokes.