"Kahlua Chocolate Fudge Cake" by President Joe Biden
Joe Biden is known for many things — folksiness, charming gaffes, his close friendship with oft-mentioned former President Barack Obama, and after you try this dish, you’ll agree: sensual desserts. The former senator from Delaware and VP of the United States is a self-proclaimed ice cream fanatic with a big sweet tooth, so it’s no surprise that one of his famous inventions is a rich, boozy dessert that I had the pleasure of recreating — President Joe Biden’s Kahlua Chocolate Fudge Cake.
Chef Joe Biden
Democratic President from Delaware
Notable:
eating ice cream; being Leslie Knope’s hero
Quotable:
“I am a gaffe machine”
As always, I followed the recipe word for word, no alterations:
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cups Kahlua, divided
1 2/3 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp raspberry jam
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp instant coffee
1/4 cup Kahlua
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Butter sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Spread butter in bottom of pan. Sprinkle with pecans and sugar. Set aside.
2) Mix cocoa with boiling water, let cool, then add 1/4 cup Kahlua. Set aside.
Kahlua, for those of you who haven’t tried it, is a spirit made of rum and coffee liqueur. It can be found in some folks’ White Russians and other folks’ coffees.
3) Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
4) Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add beaten eggs.
I highly recommend using a stand mixer for your creaming.
5) Alternately blend dry ingredients and cocoa mixture into cream mixture. Pour into spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes.
During this hour of waiting, I washed my car and read all about how Chester A. Arthur was our most flamboyantly dressed President.
6) Cool in pan for 10 minutes only. Remove sides; let cool. Pan coating will serve as bottom of cake.
7) Cut cake in half horizontally. Drizzle remaining Kahlua over each half. Spread raspberry jam over bottom layer. Spread with 1/4 cup of Kahlua frosting. Sandwich cake and frost all over.
“Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented, as white kids.”
—Joe Biden
8) FOR FROSTING: Melt semisweet morsels on top of double boiler. Gradually beat in butter and instant coffee granules dissolved in Kahlua. Beat until smooth. Makes 12 servings. Note: Cake should rest overnight.
A complex recipe with many ingredients, many steps, and many chances for failure, but Joe Biden’s cake is a delight. It’s quite a lift, too — I didn’t weigh it, but I’d venture it’s a good 12 pounds. Layer after layer of richness with raspberry jam, chocolate, more chocolate, and crumblies. The hardest part of this entire recipe was having to wait for it to “rest overnight.”
Verdict:
You gotta give it to Joe Biden. He may be a meme, but damn he makes a good chocolate cake. I had to keep this in the freezer because it was too good to throw away and far too good to stay un-thawed around me. Would’ve knocked this thing out in a night.
