Chocolate Bourbon Bundt Cake

This is the cake I made for Michael's bday. He always wants chocolate, and I was hoping to beat last year's Heavenly Chocolate Cake. I picked a chocolate bourbon cake I found in our Gourmet Today book. Our good buddies, Bret & Peggy through us a stock-the-shed shower and Michael got a very shed-like gift from Bret's brother: Jim Beam. Since I was making Michael's cake on a Sunday & we're stuck with the Blue Law here in NC, I was actually quite happy we got that Jim Beam the night before.

After whipping up the cake, Michael walked in and was all 'that looks good! what kind of icing goes on top?' Well the original topping was just powdered sugar - and that's the 'icing' I was planning on. Dang-it! To google I went. I found several bourbon icing/glaze recipes and we only had all of the ingredients for one. Lucky for us, it turned out pretty tasty! I'm not too sure Michael was thrilled about the amount of his Jim Beam I had to use in the cake mix and icing though :) The flavor definitely improves if the bourbon has a chance to soak all in, so make it at least a day ahead if you can. When you do the glaze, make sure you pour the hot mixture quickly before it starts to cool because it will clump.

Ingredients

CAKE:

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus 3 tablespoons for dusting pan
• 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup bourbon
  
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Special equipment: a 12-cup bundt pan

GLAZE:

• 1/3 cup light-brown sugar, packed
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter bundt pan well, then dust with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
2. Heat coffee, bourbon, butter, and remaining cup cocoa powder in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until butter is melted.
   
3. Remove from heat, then add sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and cool 5 minutes.
4. While chocolate mixture cools, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then whisk into cooled chocolate mixture until combined well. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly).
   
5. Pour batter into bundt pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
6. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack.
7. Run a think knife around sides of pan, then invert cake onto rack. Set aside to cool.
   

GLAZE:

1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar and butter over medium heat until bubbly, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove saucepan from heat.
2. With wire whisk, beat in bourbon and confectioners' sugar until mixture is smooth. Immediately pour glaze over top of cooled cake, letting it run down sides. Allow glaze to set before serving.