Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Cake

The sweet, mellow flavor of Bourbon has a great affinity for chocolate and pecans.  Serve this unadorned cake with a little unsweetened whipped cream or top with the easy chocolate frosting below.

Makes one 8-inch cake, 8 to 10 servings

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2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)

Pinch of salt

5 large eggs

3 tablespoons best-quality Bourbon

1/2 cup turbinado or dark brown sugar

4 1/2 ounces pecan pieces, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely ground

Whipped cream for serving

One 8-inch round 2-inch deep pan, buttered and lined with a disk of parchment

1.  Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, allowing it to sizzle and get really hot. Remove from heat, add chocolate and whisk smooth.

3. Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and salt together and add all the eggs and Bourbon. Whisk together smoothly. 

4. Stir the brown sugar into the butter and chocolate mixture and stir into the batter. Fold in the pecans.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake until set and a few moist crumbs adhere to a small knife inserted in the center of the cake, 45 to 55 minutes.

6. Cool the cake on a rack and serve the cake at room temperature.

7. Serve the cake with whipped cream or finish with the chocolate butter frosting below.

CHOCOLATE BUTTER FROSTING

Melt 4 ounces of premium semisweet chocolate and cool to room temperature.  Use a small rubber spatula to beat in 3 ounces very soft unsalted butter.  Spread on the cake and sprinkle with more chopped pecans.