This Best Kahlua Cake recipe is a moist, tender, rich chocolate cake, with a creamy Kahlua and coffee frosting. Extra fabulous for company!

a piece of Kahlua Cake Recipe

This super easy Chocolate Kahlua Cake recipe is always a big party hit! Bake in a 9×13 pan. Make ahead and freeze. Cut into small serving squares and freeze. Defrost and serve! If you want to a recipe without Kahlua and coffee, then try my Best Chocolate Cake recipe!

Kahlua Cake Recipe

We’ve been doing a lot of entertaining in our cozy cabin, which has been a busy time for us. There’s a lot going on in our lives, some that I’ll be sharing more of soon. But for now, what did I make for dessert this week? Delicious Kahlua Cake. Honestly, I looked in my cupboards to see what I needed to use up, and I had two bottles of Kahlua. Then I remembered this fabulous recipe that I used to make all the time, from the Portland’s Palate Cookbook.  A lot of my recipes are marked 2000 – 2002 in this cookbook. My kids were little, and we hosted a ton back in southern Oregon.

Kahlua Cake with kahlua frosting

You have that cookbook, too? I have many friends whose favorite recipes are in this book. It’s actually called Kahlua Bars, but I think of it more as a cake. Although, each bite is kind of gooey, that makes it so good!

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The drizzle on top is optional, too. I like to whip up the cake for guests, and just skip the drizzle. And the secret is in the Kahlua and the espresso powder, but you can use any instant coffee.

bottle of Kahlua and Kahlua Cake Recipe

Ingredients for Best Kahlua Cake Recipe

Let’s get started. All you need are these ingredients for the cake:

  • Unsweetened chocolate
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Kahlua
  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

kahlua chocolate cake

Make the Kahlua frosting:

 

9x13 Kahlua Cake Recipe

Make the drizzle for the cake:

Let’s just say the frosting is a “melt-in-your-mouth” kind of frosting. So good! You can add a chocolate drizzle, but I never do. But in case you want to, you need:

  • Semisweet chocolate
  • Butter

fork bite of Kahlua Cake Recipe

BROWNIES: You melt the chocolate and butter together, and you can do this in the microwave or on the stove. Then, while warm, you mix in sugar, eggs, vanilla and Kahlua. Next, stir in flour, baking powder and salt.

Spread the batter in prepared pan and bake, then cool.

FROSTING: In a small bowl, mix Kahlua with instant coffee, stirring until coffee is dissolved. In a medium bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together. Add coffee mixture and beat until well blended. Add milk to desired consistency. Spread frosting over cooled brownies.

Get online the espresso powder: Delallo Instant Espresso Powder (afflink).

TOPPING: If you choose to make the drizzle, then you melt chocolate and butter together. Cool, then drizzle topping over frosting.

Frosted Kahlua Cake Recipe

How to serve the Kahlua Cake

The cake is best if cooled until chocolate is set.

We cut into squares and served with vanilla ice cream. But it’s good enough to enjoy by itself.

Kahlua Cake Recipe witih frosting

Looking for some more chocolate desserts to try?

Toffee Chocolate Bundt Cake

4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake

Make a Chocolate Sheet Cake

fork bite of Kahlua Cake Recipe
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Get the Recipe:

Kahlua Cake Recipe

Bake in a 9x13 pan. Make ahead and freeze. Cut into small serving squares and freeze. Defrost and serve!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12
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Ingredients
 

Make the cake:

Make the frosting:

  • 2 tablespoons Kahlua
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee, or espresso powder (we use Delallo brand)
  • ½ cup butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons milk, more if needed

Topping (optional):

  • 1 ounce semisweet chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions
 

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- x 13-inch baking pan.
  • In a medium saucepan over low heat (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate and butter together. Mix in sugar, eggs, vanilla and Kahlua. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Spread in prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes or until batter starts to pull away from sides of pan. Cool.

For the frosting:

  • In a small bowl, mix Kahlua with instant coffee, stirring until coffee is dissolved. In a medium bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together. Add coffee mixture and beat until well blended. Add milk to desired consistency. Spread frosting over cooled cake.

TOPPING:

  • In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter together. Cool slightly, then drizzle topping over frosting. Cool until chocolate is set.

How to serve the cake:

  • Cut into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream.

How to freeze the cake:

  • Make the entire recipe; cool. Cut into pieces. Freeze the pieces already cut into small squares. Defrost and serve!
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer
Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

square piece of Kahlua Cake Recipe