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It Was Love At The First Bite Of This Mysterious Cake

Lynn Kessel

This decadent dessert, a Black Russian bundt cake, is made with Kahlua and vodka to give it a dazzling flavor. It's light, moist, rich, and above all, chocolaty.

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Lynn Kessel

Tribune Correspondent

Published: February 6, 2008

I was offered a piece of cake recently that a friend had confiscated from an office soiree. Not knowing the name of the decadent dessert or who baked it, she told me, "You have to try it."

I instantly recognized the rich, irresistible scent of liqueur and chocolate as I peeled the plastic wrap off the plate.

This cake had it all. It was light, moist, rich, and above all, chocolaty. With a satiated smile and flecks of chocolate stuck between my teeth, my immediate response was, "I want this recipe."

It was the case of the mysterious cake - sounds like a Nancy Drew title, doesn't it? So I began sleuthing and discovered the perplexing dessert was a classic Bundt pan recipe - a Black Russian cake - with Kahlua and vodka added to give it a dazzling flavor.

According to the 60-year-plus bakeware manufacturer Nordic Ware, there are nearly 60 million Bundt pans in kitchens across America.

In the back of my cupboard I own the original version, with a hole in the middle. It's beginning to show its age, but the cast-aluminum, fluted tube pan is still kept in its slightly battered, original box. I purchased it eons ago while on a trip to my hometown of Minneapolis, which is also the location of Nordic Ware's home office and factory outlet store.

But back to that Black Russian cake. I had to have the recipe.

First, I needed to learn who made it. The baker turned out to be one of South Shore's own, Riverview resident Jennifer Northrop.

Tracking her down, I ordered the cake for my daughter Leslie's 29th birthday. She had flown in from Hawaii with her husband, Ben. When I went to pick up her cake, I met Jennifer at her home, and to my delight, she agreed to share the recipe with me - and you. She told me this recipe came from her mother, Karen Muffon, who lives in Las Vegas.

Several years ago, Jennifer made it for the first time and her family loved it. She began baking small versions in miniloaf pans and giving them away as gifts. Soon she was selling them, and other desserts, as a hobby at small craft shows.

Jennifer ended her 16-year career in accounting last year and started a home-based cookie and cake business called Divine Desserts Bakery.

Amazingly, Jennifer confessed she doesn't really care for chocolate. You could have fooled me. She said her real weakness is for sugar cookies, which are personalized with business logos, photos or messages in edible ink. She considers them and carrot cake her specialties.

Jennifer can be reached at (813) 732-6577 or divine desserts@tampabay.rr.com.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I'm thinking of lots of possibilities.

BLACK RUSSIAN CAKE

Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 large box instant chocolate pudding

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup vodka

1/4 cup Kahlua

3/4 cup water

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup Kahlua

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake ingredients. Mix at low speed about a minute, then beat at medium speed for four more. Spoon the batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. (Jennifer uses Bakers Joy, which contains flour.) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until done. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, invert onto rack or plate.

For the glaze, combine powdered sugar and Kahlua; blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle glaze over top of cake. Cool completely and lightly dust with additional powdered sugar.

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com or P.O. Box 286, Ruskin FL 33575-0286. Readers are encouraged to send their favorite recipes, comments and suggestions.

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