Chocolate Cake Parfait with Whiskey Caramel Sauce

This. OMG. This is the dessert of all desserts. We celebrated my boyfriend's birthday this week. Which if anyone is keeping count, makes me the older woman. By 9 days. 10 days if it's a leap year. And in my 9 day head start of being 27 years old,  I found the inspiration to create this masterpiece. Moist chocolate cake with whiskey baked right inside, is then topped with fresh homemade whipped cream. And finally, the star of the show. Whiskey caramel sauce. It's sweet. It's boozy. It's sinful. 

Chocolate Cake Parfait with Whiskey Caramel Sauce
Makes 4-6 Parfaits

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. warm water
• 2 tbsp. of your favorite whiskey or bourbon
• 2 cups homemade whipped cream
• 1 batch whiskey carmel sauce

Whiskey Caramel Sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp. whiskey or bourbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add in the egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and warm water. Mix until just combined with the dry ingredients. Stir in the whiskey and then fill the prepared muffin tin cups about 2/3 of the way full until all of the batter is used.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack at room temperature until completely cooled.

Meanwhile, make the whiskey caramel sauce. Add the sugar and the cream of tarter into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the water around the edges of the pan, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Then remove the cover and continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, without stirring. The sugar mixture will begin to turn an amber color. Watch carefully, for the sauce can turn from golden amber to burnt very quickly.

Once the caramel turns amber, remove from heat and quickly whisk in the heavy cream and butter. The mixture will bubble up. Just keep whisking until the caramel turns smooth and no more "chunks" exist. Lastly, whisk in the whiskey. Pour into a heat proof bowl and allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour until the caramel cools and thickens, but is still pourable.

To prepare the parfaits; crumble some of the chocolate cake into the bottom of a bowl. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. Then pour some whiskey caramel on top. Repeat another layer.

Serve immediately. And trust me. You won't want to wait.