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Perfect Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Drip

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Layer Cake - featured image
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A rich and moist chocolate layer cake infused with bourbon, layered with toasted pecans, and topped with a silky salted caramel drip. This easy homemade cake is perfect for special occasions and crowd-pleasing gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (or dairy-free milk with 1 tbsp vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) bourbon whiskey
  • 1 cup (240ml) hot brewed coffee
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (for caramel)
  • 6 tbsp (90ml) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (for caramel)
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream, warmed (for caramel)
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt (for caramel)
  • 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3 1/2 cups (440g) powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • 1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder (for frosting)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream (for frosting)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • Pinch of salt (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and bourbon until smooth.
  4. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing on low speed or by hand until just combined. Slowly pour in hot coffee while mixing to thin batter.
  5. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 7-8 minutes, stirring halfway. Chop roughly and mix with brown sugar and melted butter for pecan filling.
  6. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check doneness with toothpick; it should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
  7. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
  8. Beat butter for frosting until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, alternating with heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable.
  9. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread half the pecan filling over top, then a layer of frosting. Add second cake layer and frost entire cake evenly.
  10. Make salted caramel drip: melt sugar in saucepan over medium heat without stirring until amber. Remove from heat, add butter and stir until melted. Slowly whisk in warm cream, add sea salt, and cool slightly.
  11. Drizzle caramel over cake edges and top. Scatter toasted pecans on top if desired.
  12. Chill cake for 30 minutes to set caramel drip before serving.

Notes

If batter is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk or coffee to loosen. Do not overmix batter to avoid dense crumb. For caramel, avoid stirring sugar until melting to prevent crystallization. Use room-temperature butter for frosting. Toast pecans fresh for best flavor. Chill cake layers before frosting to prevent melting. Caramel drip can be gently warmed if it hardens before dripping.

Nutrition

Keywords: chocolate cake, bourbon cake, pecan cake, salted caramel, layer cake, homemade cake, easy dessert, celebration cake

Find it online: https://gleefulfork.com/perfect-chocolate-bourbon-pecan-layer-cake-recipe-easy-homemade-with-salted-caramel-drip/