Name: Whiskey Cocoa Bundt Cake
Yield: 12–16 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: ¾ cup unsweetened dark Dutch-process cocoa powder (Valrhona is recommended), plus more for dusting the pan; ¼ cup unsweetened black cocoa powder (or substitute Dutch-process; see note in recipe); ½ cup hot brewed coffee; ½ cup bourbon (Lewis likes Basil Hayden) or whiskey; 2¼ cups all-purpose flour; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1¼ tsp. kosher salt; ½ tsp. baking soda; 2¼ cups packed dark brown sugar; ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. neutral oil (like vegetable or canola); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 2 egg yolks; 1½ cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt; 1½ oz. unsalted butter; 2 tbsp. heavy cream; 2¼–2¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted; 3 tbsp. good-quality whiskey; chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Baking is in Matt Lewis’s DNA. When the Baked NYC co-owner was growing up in Florida, his mother would happily “bend the rules of the food pyramid so that we could occasionally share cake for breakfast or bonbons for dinner,” he writes in his new cookbook, Sure Thing Desserts.

That love of sweets continued through college at the University of Alabama and Lewis’s early career in the New York corporate world. Now with a successful bakeshop (with locations in Brooklyn and Tokyo) and five co-authored cookbooks on his resume, he’s bending the rules of baking in his own way—with streamlined, beginner-to-intermediate-friendly recipes that require minimal bowl washing and even do away with measured vanilla extract.

Sure Thing Desserts, Lewis’s first solo project, presents his “greatest hits”: an abundance of brownies and bars, classic chocolate chip cookies, and cakes sure to impress—including the whiskey-kissed Bundt shown below. “It is a big, beautiful, and bold cake,” he writes of the Bundt. “While the steps are relatively straightforward, it does involve a few more than the average recipe in this book. But it is worth every dirty bowl you have to clean.”

He also caught up with G&G to share a few tips and reflect on baking in the South.

What was your inspiration for the Bundt cake?

I am partial to Bundts in general—I love the simplicity of their presentation and their dense but pleasant texture—and I have always had an affinity for whiskey. Whiskey and cocoa powder feel like brothers: smoky, luxe companions.

Do you have any tips for home bakers tackling this recipe?

Bundts are beautiful, but it is really important to properly prepare all the nooks and crannies of the Bundt so the cake doesn’t stick to an odd corner. You want this cake to slide out beautifully, and I recommend a heavily buttered pan dusted in cocoa powder to avoid sticking.

Are there any drink pairings that would complement the cake flavors?

I would recommend a nice bourbon straight up, or if you want the cake to play center stage, a bubbly unflavored seltzer. Of course, coffee and tea are naturals for dessert, and this one is no different.

How did the South influence this recipe or the cookbook?

I lived in Florida and went to school in Alabama, so elements of the South are baked into my DNA. I think the South, at least the one I grew up with, excelled at best-in-class classic flavors—caramels, chocolates, vanilla, pecan, and coconut—and was less consumed with trends and froufrou new flavors, which I admired greatly. While that is a general statement about the state of dessert in the Southern region, it is a compliment.

What was your experience like attending college in the South?

I really enjoyed my time at the University of Alabama. It was quiet and lovely and green, and I made so many wonderful friends and connections that shaped my world.

Whiskey Cocoa Bundt Cake

Yield: 12–16 servings

FOR THE CAKE

- ¾ cup unsweetened dark Dutch-process cocoa powder (Valrhona is recommended), plus more for dusting the pan
- ¼ cup unsweetened black cocoa powder (or substitute Dutch-process; see note in recipe)
- ½ cup hot brewed coffee
- ½ cup bourbon (Lewis likes Basil Hayden) or whiskey
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 2¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. neutral oil (like vegetable or canola)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1½ cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt

FOR THE BUTTER WHISKEY GLAZE

- 1½ oz. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. heavy cream
- 2¼–2¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp. good-quality whiskey
- chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Preparation

Note: Don’t have black cocoa powder? It’s fine. Just substitute Dutch-process cocoa powder one for one in the recipe. The black cocoa powder provides more of a visual accent—it makes the cake an inky midnight black that contrasts beautifully with the white icing—than it is a taste modifier.
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center. Butter the inside of a 10–12-cup Bundt pan, dust with 2–3 tbsp. of cocoa powder, and knock out the excess. Alternatively, liberally apply a nonstick baking spray, dust with cocoa, and knock out the excess. Either way, make sure the pan’s nooks and crannies are all thoroughly coated.
In a medium-size heatproof bowl, combine the dark and black cocoa powders. Pour the hot coffee directly over the powders and whisk until well blended. Whisk in the bourbon. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, neutral and olive oils, and vanilla until combined. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk again until just combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Whisk each addition gently to combine.
Fold one-third of the yogurt into the batter to lighten it. Fold in half of the remaining yogurt until just incorporated, then fold in the rest until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50–55 minutes, until a small sharp knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack so that the crown is facing up. Place a baking sheet (lined with parchment, if you like, for ease of cleaning) underneath the wire rack.
Make the butter whiskey glaze: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Add ¾ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine. Repeat with another ¾ cup and whisk to combine. Repeat with another ¾ cup and whisk to combine. Add the whiskey and whisk until uniform. The glaze should be thick and ropy, but pourable—not runny and thin. If the glaze looks too thin, add the remaining ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine.
Glaze the black cocoa Bundt: Pour the glaze over the room-temperature cake in thick ribbons; it will slowly drip down the sides. Add a few sprinkles to the top, if using. Let set for about 15 minutes before serving.
The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Reprinted from Sure Thing Desserts: Truly Perfect Versions of Everyday Classics, published by Abrams. Text copyright © 2025 Matt Lewis, photographs copyright © 2025 Dana Gallagher, cover © 2025 Abrams

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