A friend (thank you, Danielle!) mentioned tonight that the peach pound cake we shared here back in 2012 is still one of her favorite cakes. It was a warm and welcomed reminder that this blog has been a special part of our cooking lives, and she suggested I write a post.

While much has changed since we started this blog years ago, Leah and I both still love to cook: homemade meals that give us the chance to chop produce after a work day looking at a screen, more elaborate menus for dinner parties, and best of all, special baked goods for celebrations.

I’ve made this bête noire for my boyfriend’s birthday for the past two years, and both times it’s been devoured. This cake is decadently smooth, spiked with bourbon, orange, bitters, and peppercorns. It’s reminiscent of an old fashioned cocktail, making it a cake worth celebrating with.

I sometimes find flourless chocolate cakes to be a bit dry, but not this one. It’s rich in flavor and deeply fudgy. And unlike many flourless chocolate cakes, it doesn’t require separating eggs.

This cake sparkles inside and out, and is ready for any party! Cheers!

Bête Noire

Recipe from Milk Street (Milk Street produces a wonderful, old-fashioned cooking magazine with a thoughtful selection of recipes from around the world. I highly recommend subscribing!)

Makes one 9″ cake. It’s enough to serve at least a dozen people

Ingredients

8 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 large navel orange

161 grams (¾ cup) plus 71 grams (⅓ cup) white sugar (separated)

½ cup bourbon

3 tablespoons black peppercorns (I’ve cut this down to 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons Angostura bitters

6 large eggs, beaten

Whole-milk Greek yogurt, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 275°F with a rack in the middle position of the oven. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
2. Set a wire rack inside of a rimmed baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolates and the butter.
4. Set a fine mesh strainer over the chocolate bowl, and set it aside.
5. Using a vegetable peeler, remove just the outer zest of the orange (avoiding the white pith underneath), in strips. Set the strips aside.
6. Juice the orange into a liquid measuring cup. Measure 3 tablespoons of the juice into a medium saucepan. Then, add the bourbon to the remaining juice in the measuring cup. Add enough water to the measuring cup to equal 1 cup total liquid and set it aside (the amount of water you’ll need to add varies by how juicy your orange is!).
7. Add the 161 grams of sugar to the orange juice in the saucepan, along with the orange zest strips and peppercorns. Set the pan over medium-high. Cook without stirring but occasionally swirling the pan until the sugar dissolves. This will take 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Continue cooking, swirling the pan frequently, until the sugar caramelizes to a deep brown and the peppercorns start popping. This will take an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the orange juice–bourbon-water mixture (the caramel will bubble up and harden).
9. Set the pan over medium. Bring it to a simmer and cook, stirring as needed, until the caramel has dissolved and the peppercorns no longer stick together, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bitters.
10. Pour the hot sugar syrup through the strainer into the chocolate-butter mixture, reserving the strained solids. Ensure the chocolate and butter are fully covered with syrup, and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Using a silicone spatula, gently stir until the mixture is combined and completely smooth, with all the chocolate melted.
    Note: the second time I made this, I briefly needed to put the mixture over a double boiler to complete the melting.
11. Pour the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture and stir with the spatula until glossy, 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Lightly tap the sides of the pan to remove air bubbles, and then use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set the pan on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the cake barely jiggles when the pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and run a thin, sharp knife around the edges. This will loosen the sides of the cake from the pan. Cool to room temperature in the pan, and then refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours.
14. Transfer the zest strips from the strainer to a small bowl, removing and discarding peppercorns. Sprinkle the strips with the remaining 70 grams of sugar, and toss until coated. Cover loosely and store at room temperature until ready to serve.
15. A couple of hours before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the zest strips from the sugar and shake off excess sugar. Cut the strips into thin strips. Remove the sides of the springform pan, and arrange the zest slivers on the cake around the edges.
16. Slice the cake and serve!