The Secret Weapon Liqueur Duff Goldman Bakes With Constantly

If you're a fan of the Black Russian or its creamier cousin the White Russian, you're familiar with Kahlua's rich coffee flavor, hint of vanilla, and buttery sweetness. The same liqueur that makes such a delicious cocktail also happens to double as a secret dessert ingredient. "White Russians are really good for desserts," Chef Duff Goldman told Tasting Table. "Kahlua makes everything taste delicious. Kahlua is the pastry chef's little secret."

Goldman knows what he's talking about. The acclaimed pastry chef and owner of the Maryland bakery, Charm City Cakes, became a celebrity through his over-the-top dessert creations on the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes." So listen up when Goldman throws out advice on how to improve your desserts with one ingredient. He recommends using a little Kahlua in everything from frosting to baked custards. Goldman guarantees that with many desserts, if you bite in and say "God, this is good. What am I tasting? What is that? This is delicious" it's more than likely "a little Kahlua" that's making the difference.

Kahlua was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1936 and quickly rose to become the best-selling coffee liqueur in the world. As opposed to some other coffee liqueur makers, Kahlua uses rum as its base and takes seven years to produce the finished product (this mainly has to do with growing the coffee beans). The company only uses 100% shade-grown Arabica coffee beans grown by small farmers in Mexico, that are then roasted. The coffee is eventually blended with vanilla, sugar, and rum.

"Whatever the flavor balance that the people who make Kahlua have figured out, it's a well-designed flavor that tastes good to us," Duff Goldman said. "It pushes all the right buttons." And that's why it's such a great secret ingredient in desserts. Kahlua, besides giving your coffee a flavor boost, can take your desserts from blah to brilliant, according to Goldman, who picked up this trick from hotel pastry chefs.

Like Duff Goldman's secret to perfectly gooey in-the-middle cookies (taking them out of the oven as soon as the cookies develop color) his use of Kahlua in desserts is all about moderation to achieve the best results. "You don't need a lot," he said. Goldman typically uses Kahlua in "creamy things" but you can let your creativity run a little wild with this secret ingredient.

"You're making a crème brulee, put [Kahlua] in there," Goldman said. "You make some buttercream, put it in there. Literally anything — a chocolate pot du crème, put some Kahlua in there, just a little bit." Goldman said it's not about the alcohol, but rather Kahlua's unique taste profile. So instead of mixing up a mudslide, espresso martini, or white Russian, add a little Kahlua to your next dessert recipe. Although, we suppose, you could still enjoy one of those cocktails while making a chocolate pot du crème.