Bertha's Big Bourbon Bundt Cake

This recipe came to me via a friend, Bertha, who just loved any cake that had booze in it. I have, in the past, eliminated the bourbon when making this for kids and it is still wonderful. Basically, it is a variation on a tunnel of fudge cake.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 648 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ cup bourbon
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 5 tablespoons hot water or as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

Step 2

Beat 1 cup butter, cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup bourbon.

Step 3

Sift together flour, 6 tablespoons cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Step 4

Prepare the filling: combine 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 cup brown sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl and mix in pecan pieces and 1 tablespoon bourbon; set aside.

Step 5

Gradually add flour mixture to cake batter; beat on medium speed about 3 minutes. Spread half of the batter in bottom of the prepared pan and place teaspoonfuls of pecan filling around the center of batter. Cover with the remaining batter.

Step 6

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 55 to 70 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for about 20 minutes.

Step 7

Invert cake onto a serving plate and allow it to cool completely before glazing.

Step 8

For the glaze: sift 1/4 cup cocoa powder with 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 4 tablespoons hot water; add 1 to 2 more tablespoons water until desired consistency is reached. Spoon glaze over top of cooled cake.