5.2.19
Have you bought your hat yet? Do you have your perfect Mint Julep recipe handy? Because on Saturday the most bourbon soaked two minutes of sports is happening and I only kind of care but I love bourbon and derby pie and so who cares I’ll get into it and bet on a horse and omg give me more bourbon. WHEW.
Have you ever tried a Derby Pie? It’s pretty simple by way of ingredients but oh man, is it delicious. My friend Katherine, a Louisville native, makes this pie every year and I can’t get enough. Chocolate and bourbon and pecans all together making each other happy. Love it. So I decided to make a cake inspired by it. Wrapped up inside this chocolate and bourbon frosting are soft layers of pecan cake, with a sprinkling of chopped chocolate and ground pecans sandwiched between layers. I soaked each layer in bourbon and even wrapped them in a bourbon filled cheesecloth overnight to really let the flavor set in. Who cares about the race when you’re putting this in your face??
Derby Day Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cup ground pecans + 1/3 cup ground pecans, divided
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg white
- •2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips, roughly chopped into small crumbs
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
For the Soak
- 1/2-1 cup bourbon, depending on desired flavor strength
For the Frosting
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
- 4-5 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
- 2-3 Tbsp bourbon
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour three 6″ cake pans
- In a small bowl whisk together milk and sour cream, set aside
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, 3/4 cup ground pecans, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, beat butter and sugars together until combined and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes
- Add in eggs, white, and vanilla one at a time until combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl
- Add in the dry and wet ingredients, alternating, starting and ending with flour
- Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, the tops should be golden, it should spring back when you press it
- Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to fully cool
- Once transferred to wire rack, use a pastry brush dipped in the bourbon and brush along tops and sides of cake, wait 10 minutes and repeat
- Take three pieces of cheesecloth and dip into remaining bourbon, making sure to squeeze out excess before wrapping around each layer of cooled cake.
- Wrap each layer with plastic wrap tightly to ensure cheesecloth flavor soaks in and allow to sit overnight
- Once ready to assemble, place first layer on top of cardboard cake circle, holding in place with a dollop of frosting underneath cake
- Pipe frosting on top of cake, sprinkle ground pecans and chopped chocolate on top of frosting
- Place next cake layer and repeat frosting and sprinkling
- Place final layer upside down to ensure a flat top, pipe frosting on top and around sides, using a straight edge to clean up and create a crumb coat
- Chill for 15-20 minutes in fridge, then pipe remaining frosting along top and sides until fully covered, use a straight edge to make a clean look, or use an offset spatula for a more rustic feel
- Combine any remaining chopped chocolate and ground pecans, then add in cocoa powder and mix together
- Using a small fine mesh sieve dust the top of cake with the mixture (I placed a horse stencil in the center and dusted around it for the effect on this cake)
- Any larger chunks that don’t make it through the sieve can be added around the bottom edge of the cake
- Safely covered, this cake can be left out at room temperature for a few days, longer than that and I’d recommend chilling and bringing to room temperature before eating
For the Frosting
- Bring 1-2″ of water in a medium sauce pan to simmer
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, whisk together sugar and egg whites until combined
- Place bowl over simmering water (the bottom shouldn’t touch the water) and whisk constantly until the mixture has come to 160 degrees
- Remove bowl from water and with the whisk attachment for your stand mixer, beat on medium speed until bowl is cool to the touch, about 7-10 minutes
- While the mixer beats, melt your chocolate in either a heatproof bowl over a water bath, or in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30 second bursts until melted, stirring in between, once melted set aside
- Once egg whites bowl is cooled, slowly begin to add in butter a few cubes at a time, adding more once the previous are just about combined, continue until all butter is added
- Add in melted chocolate and beat until combined, scrape down sides as needed, add in bourbon
- Transfer frosting to piping bag and frost cake
