Chocolate Whiskey Cake With Coffee Caramel 

Preparation

1. Prepare the Cake

   1. Step 1

      Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

   2. Step 2

      In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla to combine.

   3. Step 3

      Using a fine-mesh strainer or sieve, sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. (This prevents the cocoa from clumping.) Whisk to combine. The mixture will have small lumps, but do not continue whisking the batter to complete smoothness. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

   4. Step 4

      Bake until the center springs back to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before soaking. The cake, wrapped tightly, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

2. Make the Whiskey Soak

   1. Step 5

      In a small bowl, whisk the milk, whiskey, instant coffee and vanilla until the coffee dissolves. The soak can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

   2. Step 6

      Prick the cooled cake all over with a small serrated knife. Pour the soak all over and let sit for the cake to absorb it, at least 5 minutes.

3. Prepare the Glaze

   1. Step 7

      In a large saucepan, whisk the brown sugar, cream, instant coffee, vanilla and salt. Add the butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil the caramel, whisking occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 235 degrees (the soft ball stage), 5 to 10 minutes. The sauce will be a deep mahogany and smell toasty and rich, like graham crackers.

   2. Step 8

      Remove from the heat, whisk to help the bubbles subside quickly and carefully pour the hot glaze over the soaked cake. Use a small offset spatula to smooth it and push it into the corners of the pan if needed.

   3. Step 9

      Let the cake stand at room temperature until the icing firms up, at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours. The cake, wrapped tightly, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

4. Decorate the Cake

   1. Step 10

      When ready to serve, dust the cake with cocoa powder using a small tea strainer or other sieve. Dot the flowers all over the surface. Use a serrated bread knife to portion the cake into rectangles 1½ inches wide and 3 inches long.