This was actually a cake I made for my boss at work’s birthday! I was talking with my coworkers in sales about what he liked, and we figured that a bourbon pecan cake of some capacity would just suit his personality and preferences, so why not go that route? For this cake, we have a brown butter-brown sugar cake that has buttermilk, just to help give the cake an airier texture. We also have a sticky bourbon toffee, a crunch layer made with pecans, blonde chocolate, and feuilletine(think like thin, crunchy wafers, similar to a sugar cone in flavor), and whipped mascarpone, just to make sure that the cake isn’t too heavy or sweet. I really liked how the cake turned out, just because it was a tower of toasty, toffee, and crunchy things! If you either like sticky toffee pudding or bourbon pecan ice cream, this will be the dessert for you!

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tspn baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup brown butter
3 eggs
1 tspn bourbon vanilla extract

In a bowl, sift the flour with baking soda and salt to remove any lumps. In another bowl, whisk everything together, including the flour mixture, to form your batter. Pour into a lined sheet tray and spread into an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes. Cool before cutting into two perfect 6-inch rounds, and one round made from scraps.

For the sticky bourbon toffee:
3 tbsp bourbon
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 tbsp brown butter
1/4 cup milk
a pinch of salt
1 tspn bourbon vanilla extract

Heat up the bourbon first, allowing it to come up to a simmer to cook off any alcohol. Mix with the remaining ingredients, besides the vanilla, first. Allow the sugar to fully dissolve into the liquid before taking off heat and whisk in the vanilla. Allow this to cool before using.

For the crunch layer:
1/4 cup blonde chocolate
a pinch of salt
1 cup feuilletine
1 cup toasted pecans

Melt blonde chocolate with salt. Then fold into that the other ingredients. Spread into a thin layer on a nonstick surface. Cool it down completely and cut into smaller pieces to use as garnish.

For the whipped mascarpone:
16oz mascarpone cheese
a pinch of salt
1 tspn bourbon vanilla extract

Mix the mascarpone with other ingredients using a rubber spatula or paddle attachment until soft. DO NOT USE A WHISK, or the mascarpone will curdle.

For the bourbon soak:
1 cup buttermilk
1 tspn bourbon vanilla extract
1 tspn bourbon
a pinch of salt

Mix together.

To assemble:
Line a 6-inch ring mold with acetate. Place the scrap layer down first, and pour on 1/3 of the soak, and 1/3 of the toffee. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the crunch layer, then spread over that 1/3 of the mascarpone. Repeat for the second layer. For the third, start with the cake and soak. Then spread the mascarpone and butterscotch together, and sprinkle on the crunch layer to finish.