Ring in the New Year with Cake!

Wow! It’s hard to believe we are ushering out 2012 tonight and ringing in 2013!

There’s something special about celebrating a new year with a delicious and decadent dessert and this Kentucky Bourbon Brownie Cake that our friend Amy of Momma Hen’s Frugal Life is sharing with us today completely fits the bill!

Amy is not only a fabulous cook and photographer she is also a regular contributor to FOLK Magazine! If you receive this gorgeous publication than you have seen her amazing work!

She always knows how to mix the best ingredients to come up with the perfect recipe…

…and given I’m from Kentucky, in my opinion, you can never go wrong with throwing a little bourbon in something!

Amy is graciously sharing the recipe for this amazing cake with our readers here At The Picket Fence.

Kentucky Bourbon Brownie Cake by Amy Thayer (Momma Hen’s Frugal Life)

Ingredients-
1 stick of butter
1/3 CUP oil
3 eggs
2 CUP all purpose flour
1 1/2 TEAspoon instant coffee
3.9 oz package of instant chocolate pudding
3/4 CUP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 TEAspoon baking soda
3/4 TEAspoon baking powder
1/2 TEAspoon salt
2 CUP sugar
2 TEAspoon vanilla
1 3/4 CUP milk
1/4 bourbon
Optional: 1/2 of a 21 oz. can of cherry pie filling

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease bottoms of two round cake pans. Line bottoms of cake pans with wax paper; grease and lightly flour pans. In a medium bowl wisk together flour,cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, instant pudding mix, and instant coffee ganuals.

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and oil with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes. Add eggs ones at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more. If you decide to add cherries, fold into batter at this time. Spread batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans. Peel off wax paper. Using a toothpick poke holes all along both layers of cake. Slowly and evenly pour bourbon over the tops of the cakes and then allow to Cool thoroughly on racks.

Chocolate ganache:

Ingredients-
12 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 CUP heavy cream
2 TBS butter

Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl. Heat heavy cream on medium high until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour cream over chocolate, add butter, and stir until completely mixed and glossy. Allow ganache to cool slightly before pouring over cakes as a glaze. The longer you allow the ganache to cool, the thicker it will set. When cakes have cooled slowly pour ganache over cake while manipulating with a frosting knife to pour over and cover edges.

Place in refrigerator to cool and set.

We will definitely be baking this up in the New Year! We invite you to take a moment and head over to pay Amy a visit at her lovely blog and see more of her gorgeous photography!

If you are looking for a few more fun New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day recipes, you can see how I made a simple but sophisticated dessert and drink perfect for New Year’s Eve over at the FOLK Magazine Blog as well as get the recipes for these amazing cocktails from our friend Courtney Lake!

We wish you all a very SAFE and FUN New Year’s Eve!! We have enjoyed journeying through 2012 with all of you! Come back and see us tomorrow where we are sharing a recap of our favorite posts from 2012.

See you soon…at the picket fence!