Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Bourbon-Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews Up your chocolate cake game with a splash of bourbon. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 24, 2022 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell Active Time: 35 mins Bake Time: 25 mins Cool Time: 55 mins Total Time: 115 mins Servings: 10 Jump to recipe It's safe to say that this fantastic layer cake is a bourbon-lover's dream come true. Our Bourbon-Chocolate Cake With Browned Buttercream Frosting is full of heavenly combinations and perfect pairings. Bourbon, chocolate, and browned butter: How could we ever resist? A substantial dose of bourbon in both the cake layers and the icing imparts a stunning, oaky flavor to this towering cake. In the cake layers, bourbon and cocoa mingle together to create a sponge that's deeply rich and decadent (here, the bourbon works double-duty to add both flavor and moisture). In the buttercream, nutty brown butter underscores the essence of the bourbon; we'd venture to say that the bourbon-browned buttercream frosting makes this cake truly memorable. Like many of our favorite boozy desserts, this festive layer cake is meant for year-round celebrations. Paired with our Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls, you've got a very spirited holiday dessert spread. If this is your first time attempting a layer cake, don't fret: We have lots of tips on how to stack and frost a layer cake like a pro. Serve your finished cake with a cup of coffee or, of course, a glass of Southern bourbon. Ingredients Baking spray with flour 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large eggs 1 cup whole milk ½ cup canola oil ½ cup (4 oz.) bourbon 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup hot water Browned Buttercream Frosting Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; coat paper with baking spray. Whisk together granulated sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, milk, oil, bourbon, and vanilla in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, and whisk until just combined. Add hot water to batter; whisk until combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans (about 1 ½ cups each). Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, about 45 minutes. Measure ⅓ cup Browned Buttercream Frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star tip; set aside. Spread remaining Browned Buttercream Frosting between cake layers and on top and sides of cake. Pipe reserved frosting in piping bag around top edges of cake. Print