This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Drunken Chocolate Truffle Cake is made with a moist chocolate cake recipe, chocolate truffle filling & chocolate frosting โ all infused with chocolate liqueur for a delicious โdrunkenโ cake!


One of the questions Iโm asked most often about my recipes is where I find inspiration and how I come up with ideas. Itโs both an easy and difficult question to answer because the truth is that inspiration can come from just about anywhere.
Sometimes Iโm at a restaurant (although not much these days, ha!) and something on the menu catches my eye. Maybe itโs a flavor combination that sounds fun and I want to turn it into a cookie. Maybe itโs a cheesecake I eat and want to recreate. I often get requests from family and friends at this point too. Several years ago, a friend asked me to come up with something โcannoliโ and this Cannoli Poke Cake was born (which has now been copied over and over and over). Ever since making that cake, I realized I LOVE the flavors of cannoli and have lots of recipes that are inspired by the flavors.
Other times itโs as simple as buying something at the grocery store, like fruit, that doesnโt get eaten and I think, โWhat can I make with this so that it doesnโt go bad?โ
Along similar lines, I was in the liquor store several weeks ago getting wine as a gift for someone when I walked past a bottle of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought, โNow thereโs something that needs to go in a cake. Yum!โ The next thing I though of was chocolate truffles and this Drunken Chocolate Truffle Cake was born!
Making this delectable little cake begins with making the cake layers. This cake is a chocolate version of my lovely new Moist Vanilla Cake. Iโm a big fan and have used it a couple times lately. If youโve ever had my Best Chocolate Cake, then you know it really is fabulous. But Iโve always wanted a great butter-based chocolate cake and this is definitely it!
Once the layers are baked, they are brushed with the chocolate liqueur. Are you bursting with excitement yet?
The layers of chocolate cake are then filled with layers of chocolate truffle, which is super similar to chocolate ganache. This ganache is a bit thicker than regular ganache though, and itโs made with the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur. Oh my goodness, yum!
And then of course thereโs the chocolate frosting made with melted chocolate and more chocolate liqueur that really takes it over the top! So chocolatey and fudgy!
Top off the cake with a chocolate liqueur ganache drizzle and some chocolate truffles and youโve got yourself a chocolate cake that is not only delicious, but spiked! Does it get any better?!?
This cake is to die for! Totally melts in your mouth and definitely carries the liqueur well. The cake doesnโt overly taste of alcohol, since the liqueur literally tastes like chocolate as well. The cake just has a bit of that alcoholic flavor to it. If you wanted to use something that has a more obvious flavor to it, you could totally swap out the chocolate liqueur for something like Baileys or Kahlua, which Iโm always a huge fan of. Either way, this cake is drunk, chocolate and fabulous! And if you really want it over the top, pour a little more liqueur onto your plate when you serve it. Fantastic!!
Drunken Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Drunken Chocolate Truffle Cake is made with a moist chocolate cake, chocolate truffle filling and chocolate frosting that are all infused with chocolate liqueur for a delicious โdrunkenโ cake!
Ingredients
TRUFFLE FILLING
- 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
- 6 tbsp (90ml) Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 5 tbsp (75ml) heavy whipping cream
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 1 3/4 cup (228g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk
- 1/3 cup Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
FROSTING
- 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 5 tbsp (35g) Hersheyโs dark cocoa powder
- 6 cups (690g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
GANACHE TOPPING
- 6 oz (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- 4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
ADDITIONAL
- 8 Lidor Truffles
- Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, for serving
Instructions
1. Add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl.
2. Combine the chocolate liqueur and heavy cream in a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave just until it begins to boil.
3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cover and put the chocolate mixture in the fridge until cooled.
TO MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS:
4. Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (176ยฐC) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom.
5. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
6. Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract to and large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
8. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
9. Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter will look curdled, but thatโs ok.
10. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
11. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
12. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Reserve the chocolate liqueur for the cake layers for later.
TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
12. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
13. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
14. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
15. Add about half of the powdered sugar, salt and half of the liqueur and mix until well combined.
16. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
17. Add the remaining liqueur as needed to get the right consistency of frosting. Set frosting aside.
TO BUILD AND FINISH THE CAKE:
18. To layer the cake, first use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the tops of the cakes so they are flat. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
19. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or on a cardboard cake circle.
20. Add the chocolate liqueur for the chocolate cake that was reserved before to a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush the cake with about 1/2 of the liqueur.
21. Pipe a dam around the edge of the cake layer with some of the chocolate frosting.
22. Spread about 1/2 of the chocolate truffle filling on top of the cake, in the center of the dam.
23. Add the second layer of cake, then repeat steps 20 thru 22.
24. Add the third and final layer of cake on top.
25. Frost the top and outside of the cake with the remaining chocolate frosting. You can refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if youโd like.
26. To make the ganache topping, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl (see my tips on making chocolate ganache).
27. Combine the heavy whipping cream and chocolate liqueur in a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave until it just begins to boil.
28. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
29. Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edges of the cake, then fill in the center. See my tips on making a chocolate drip cake.
30. Use the remaining frosting to pipe swirls around the edge of the cake, then top the swirls with Lindor truffles.
31. Refrigerate the cake if itโll sit for more than 24 hours. Cake is best served at room temperature and should last best for about 3 days. Serve slices of cake with little drizzle of the chocolate liqueur on the plate, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1103
- Sugar: 114.3 g
- Sodium: 301.3 mg
- Fat: 56.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 138.2 g
- Protein: 12.3 g
- Cholesterol: 140.7 mg
Enjoy!
Hi Lindsay the cake recipe is amazing! I made it for my family, they all loved it! There was one problem though, how do you keep the buttercream from melting, i tried refrigerating it but when i took it out it was to hard and when i let it warm up it was smoother but after about 4 min it starting melting and i had to put the cake back into the refrigerator and i took it out and it melts and this continues, how do you prevent that from happening?
Iโm so glad you enjoyed it! Iโm sorry the frosting was too soft. It sounds like a little too much liquid may have been added? Hereโs a post on frosting consistency that you might find helpful, as well as a tutorial on how I frost cakes. I hope that helps!
Hi, Lindsay โ Itโs great to see your recipes on Pinterest again. This truffle cake looks & sounds FABULOUS. Having twins hasnโt slowed down your classy baking any. Youโre right on top of your game. Welcome back! Darnell ๐
I made this today as written (albeit gluten-free) and it was amazing! The filling is so rich and fudgy, youโd almost have to follow the wise words of Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias and โserve it over ice cream to cut the sweetnessโ????
Thanks for another home run!!!
P.S. So far, I have found that all of your recipes translate beautifully to GF using Cup4Cup.
Can I use other oils instead of vegetable oil (For example, butter)? If this is possible, how much will it be? The same size as 3 tbsp ?
Meanwhile, thanks for the great Recipes you teach.
That should be fine. Just use the same amount of butter.
Hi , If i wanted to make it into cupcakes , how would that work?
Iโd bake them for 16-18 minutes then fill them with the truffle filling. You could also reduce the frosting by probably half.
hi I wanted to ask the lidor truffles which ones do I use milke chocolate or dark chocolate
I used milk chocolate but either would be fine.
The cake looks amazing. I make many cakes with liquor in the recipes. I only have 3 9โณ cake pans. What do you suggest?
You could do two or three 9 inch layers, youโd just want to adjust the baking times. The cake also wouldnโt be quite as tall as the one in the photos.
I have been surfing the back blogs for a few days for a cake for my sisters 10 year anniversary party and then this popped up! Itโs perfect. Will be making a very large, square version on the weekend!!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!
Wow this looks amazing! The perfect chocolate cake, I love that itโs topped with Lidor Truffles.
please can I use Kahlua as the Liquor Thank you,
Yes, you can.
Hi Lindsay, what a thing of BEAUTY!! In the method for frosting you say to add heavy cream for consistency but in the ingredients list for frosting it says liquerโฆ.am I missing something!! Thanks for clearing up.
It should be the liqueur. Itโs been fixed. Thanks Chandra!
Hi Lindsay, I finally made this cake today..just the cake itself as I wanted the test the recipe. It tastes great!! I halved the amounts for everything and used 1 1/4 tsps baking powder instead. So the texture wasnโt what i was hoping for. Kind of dense I think, not light and fluffy like I hoped. My question is can baking powder be used for this cake and if so what would be the correct amount?? THANKS so much for your helpโฆ.
You would want to use baking soda in this cake. Most likely that is why the cake didnโt quite turn out.
This looks AMAZING! Thank you for all of the wonderful recipes. I have your book, and I absolutely love it! Happy Monday. ๐
Thanks so much Diana! Iโm so glad to hear you love the book!
Wow! Iโm drooling, Lindsay! If I make this cake, Iโll probably have to hit the workout dvds a little
harder.
Well, Iโm sure it will be worth every bite! Canโt wait to try it! Thanks!!!!
This cake looks amazing! Is there any way to sub out the alcohol? I know that would kind of defeat the purpose, but Iโm from a completely non-alcoholic household.
Thanks Kira! Yes, just substitute heavy whipping cream every where thereโs the liqueur โ the filling, frosting and ganache.
Thank you!
What about the cake? Do I just skip the alcohol or should I replace it with extra milk?
The liqueur for the cake is added after baking it by brushing it onto the cake layers. You can just leave it out and skip that step.
This cake looks delicious. I would like to make it but I donโt use liquor. Can you suggest a substitute. Thanks!
Thanks Karen! Yes, just substitute heavy whipping cream every where thereโs the liqueur โ the filling, frosting and ganache.
Oh my goodness you are killing me with this cake! I canโt wait to make it for one of our summer gatherings. Thank you.
I hope you enjoy it, April!
I love your baking
????????
Thank you!