Bourbon Whiskey Butterscotch Cake

Let me start off by saying that my least favorite dessert to make is cake. So when I post a cake to this website, you already know it’s going to be good. This cake is by far my favorite cake that I’ve ever made. Each of the different components, from the cake, to frosting, to the butterscotch are amazing on their own but even better together!

One of the reasons I don’t like to make cakes, are the frosting. Not just because frosting a cake to look pretty can be time-consuming and messy, but because I’m not a big fan of frosting in general. I tried to avoid that by using a frosting that is somewhere between the consistency of frosting and a glaze. I also decided to skip over the struggles of frosting a cake by going for an overall messy look with the chocolate and butterscotch and I think it looks as delicious as it tastes!

Inspired by http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easy-whiskey-cake/a90c6f73-de0f-48ba-9b57-213f4fab8331

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Bourbon Whiskey Butterscotch Cake

Ingredients:

• Yellow Cake Mix (Use ingredients according to your box, except the whiskey.)
  • 1/2 Cup Oil 
  • 1/2 Cup water 
  • 1/2 Cup Bourbon Whiskey
  • 3 Eggs 
• 1 Can Vanilla Frosting
• 2 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
• Milk
• 8 Tablespoons (1 Stick) Butter
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Cups Powedered Sugar
• Milk Chocolate Chips or Candy Melts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, whiskey and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Use the amounts according to the recipe on the box of your mix, but substitute half the water for whiskey, any brand will do. Pour batter into greased cake pans. 

3. Bake for 17-25 mins or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. The cake will be a golden color and golden around the edge.

4. Allow cake pans to cool before removing.

5. For the frosting, I used a can of store-bought vanilla frosting and added 1/4 cup Bourbon Whiskey. The frosting should be thinner and be more like a glaze. To frost the cake I first frosted the bottom layer and then added the top layer. With the remaining frosting, I poured it on top of the cake and let it run down the sides. I smoothed out the frosting and let it harden up for about 30 minutes.

 

Butterscotch Glaze:

For the glaze I opted to drizzle over the already frosted cake. You can cut this recipe in half. I made the full recipe and used what was left over to make candy.  (I divided the mixture and poured the excess, about half of the mixture, into a wax paper lined, 8×8 pan.  Leaving what was going on to the cake in the pan. For candy: Once cooled, I poured melted chocolate on top. Allow to cool (or refrigerate) and cut into squares)

1.  In a large sauce pan over medium heat, mix 2 cups of brown sugar, butter, and  salt.  Mixture should begin to boil.

2. Reduce heat to boil and continue to stir at a light boil for 15 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda ( mixture will lighten and look foamy).

4. Next add the vanilla and remaining brown sugar followed by the confectioner’s sugar.

5. For the amount going on the cake: Add 3 tablespoons of Bourbon Whiskey and stir. This should make the mixture thinner. Drizzle over the cake. The butterscotch will harden. After this you can drizzle more frosting on top or add melted chocolate. When I made my cake, I added the chocolate which made the cake look a lot prettier!

6. Once the butterscotch (and Chocolate if added) has hardened, you can serve cake with ice cream. I served mine with butter pecan ice cream which went nicely with the flavor of the cake.