Our friend Gaspar Tse cooked this delicious whisky chocolate cake for the Archie Rose x Bar Bstardo Pop Up in April. It was such a hit with our customers, he kindly gave us the recipe so you can recreate it in the comfort of your home.

Ingredients:

• 40ml Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky

• 210g all-purpose or plain flour

• 315g caster sugar

• 80g cocoa powder (unsweetened)

• 7g baking powder

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 60ml grapeseed oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 100ml buttermilk

• 90ml milk

• 1 shot espresso + 45ml hot water

Whipped mascarpone:

• 100g mascarpone

• 125g cream cheese

• 50g ricotta

• 10g maple syrup

• 5g caster sugar

• 10 pieces rum-soaked cherries (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 175°C. Lightly grease a 20cm cake tin with non-stick cooking oil spray. Line base with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine well.

Add oil, egg, vanilla, whisky and milk to the flour mixture and beat well to combine (about 30 seconds). Add espresso and stir.

Pour the cake batter into the cake tin. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the chocolate cake comes out mostly clean (remember it should retain a fudge-like texture).

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes. Transfer cake from the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before piping on mascarpone mixture.

To make the whipped mascarpone:

Cut cream cheese into small chunks, then add to a mixer with the ricotta and caster sugar.

Using a beater attachment, start low then turn to medium-high until mixture is smooth and aerated.

Turning it back down to low, add in mascarpone and maple syrup.

Whip on medium-high again to incorporate all ingredients, making the mixture is a nice frosting consistency.

Chill in fridge until ready to spread over cake, top with rum-soaked cherries if desired.