Best Kahlua Cake Recipe (2024)

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

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.

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!

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.

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

Make the Kahlua frosting:

• More Kahlua
• Instant coffee (I use Delallo Instant Espresso Powder)
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla
• Milk

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

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.

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.

Looking for some more chocolate desserts to try?

Toffee Chocolate Bundt Cake

4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake

Make a Chocolate Sheet Cake