Emeril Lagasse's Mississippi Mud Cake

Note from Cheri: The recipe and text below is reprinted with permission from the book Prime Time Emeril, by Emeril Lagasse, 2001 HarperCollins Publishers. Click here for more of Emeril's recipe, plus an interview with the man himself.

This Southern classic combines coffee, bourbon, and chocolate for a delicious crowd-pleaser. For you chocolate lovers who may have watched our show on chocolate, this is a very simple cake to make. Top yours with some homemade ice cream - vanilla's my favorite.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup bourbon 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Makes 1 Cake 1. Preheat the oven to 275 °F. 2. Grease a Bundt pan with 2 teaspoons of the butter, then lightly dust with the cocoa. 3. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt into a bowl, and set aside. 4. Warm the bourbon and coffee in the top of a double boiler or a stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water for 5 minutes. Add the chocolate and remaining butter and cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Cool slightly. 5. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, stir the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, into the chocolate. Add the vanilla and eggs, whisking to mix well. 6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. (The cake will be slightly soft in the middle.) 7. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.