Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

I came upon this in a roundabout manner. A post on Elise.com which led me to a Melissa Clark article in the Times and the discovery of why this recipe sounded so familiar--it's an updated version of a Maida Heater recipe from my youth. I use bourbon (Maker's Mark), Ms. Clark uses whiskey; I suspect that one is as good as the other -- and the bourbon version is a knockout! You can also play around and make this in smaller molds. A dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream, some 10x, a sprig of fresh mint, a little pool of rasberry coulis...various forms of heaven on a pretty plate.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1  cup unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
• 2  cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
• 5  ounces  unsweetened chocolate
• 1⁄4 cup instant espresso powder
• 2  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  cup Bourbon, more for sprinkling or 1  cup  other  whiskey
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2  cups granulated sugar
• 3  large eggs
• 1  tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
•  confectioners' sugar, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Grease and flour a 10-cup-capacity Bundt pan (or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In microwave oven or double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.
2. Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).
5. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool before serving, garnished with confectioners’ sugar if you like.