Flavors of Kentucky

I received a few cookbooks as bridal shower/wedding gifts. I've started to reference them on a normal basis for different recipe ideas. My friend Amy gave me a "Flavors of Kentucky" cookbook that features the state's best recipes. I love seeing local ingredients, even Bourbon, used in the majority of the recipes. I decided to give the Bourbon Fudge Cake a try to go along with a dinner menu I planned for myself, Alex and his cousin Amanda.

After 15-20 minutes prep time, 80 minutes in the oven and 20 minutes cooling, the cake came out just perfect. It's a cake I will make over and over again - the recipe looked intimidating at first, but was actually very simple.

 Alex suggested that it could be my signature dessert. I would personally like to come up with my own recipes before I start having signature dishes, but this does seem to be a favorite already. Don't let the name mislead you, while it does have bourbon in it (and coffee) it's only meant to enhance the taste of the chocolate. It's a light and fluffy chocolate cake with the perfect amount of chocolate flavoring if you ask me!

                                                                 Bourbon Fudge Cake



Here's the recipe straight from the book:Bourbon is as common as vanilla for flavoring cakes, pies, and puddings in Kentucky. When a dinner or Derby party calls for a special dessert, here's one that's a winner every time.

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 c. water
2 tsp. instant espresso
1/4 c. bourbon
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
2 c. sugar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking power
Dash of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with unsweentened cocoa. Remove excess cocoa and set aside.

Combine the water, instant epresso and bourbon in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and butter; cook over moderate heat, stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until well-blended. Let cool for 3 minutes.

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, to the chocolate mixture using an electric mixer on medium speed. Continue to beat for 1 minute after all the flour has been added. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake for 80 to 90 minutes (mine only need 80) or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of th epan. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the pan and cool completely (I cut and served immediately and did not crumble and was delicious to eat warm!). Serve at room temperature.

Makes 12 servings.

Here's the picture of the cake the day after I made it.. (just too yummy not to share!)

Enjoy!