Shelly's Recipe

BOURBON CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING

Category: Cakes

1 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Ganache
2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate morsels
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

Praline Frosting
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bourbon Glaze
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup bourbon

Grease bottoms of 3 (8 inch) round cake pans; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper and sides of pans; set pans aside. Cook first 3 in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat, and let cool.

Beat buttermilk and next 3 at until smooth. Add chocolate-butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. (Cake layers will appear thin.)

Prepare Chocolate Ganache: Microwave chocolate morsels and cream in a glass bowl on MEDIUM (50percent power) 2 to 3 minutes or until morsels are melted, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes; whisk until smooth. Gradually add butter, whisking until smooth. Cool about 35 minutes or until spreading consistency, whisking every 10 minutes.

Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate Ganache between each cake layer; spread remaining Chocolate Ganache on sides of cake. (Do not frost top of cake.) Chill cake 30 minutes.

Prepare Praline Frosting Bake pecans on a baking sheet at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once. Bring butter, brown sugar, and cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often; boil, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove from heat, and whisk in confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add toasted pecans; stir gently 3 minutes or until frosting begins to cool and thicken slightly. Pour warm Praline Frosting slowly over top of cake, spreading to edges. (Cover and let stand up to 24 hours, if desired.)

Pierce about 25 holes in top of cake using a wooden or metal skewer. Prepare Bourbon Glaze: Melt 4 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; stir in sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat, and stir in bourbon. Carefully ignite the fumes just above liquid mixture with a long match or long multipurpose lighter. Let stand until flames disappear.

Pour warm Bourbon Glaze over cake.