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BD's Jack Daniels Cake

Brown sugar white cake with the distinctly mouthwatering taste and aroma of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey studded with chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Adapted from a Jack Daniel's recipe BD discovered in the 90s though we don't have the original to give kudos.
Print Recipe
Course Sweets

Ingredients
  

For the cake:

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kosker salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 2 cups light brown sugar firmly packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey we use Black Label
  • 1 cup toasted pecans chopped
  • 1 cup chocolate chips we use 60% cacao bittersweet; semi-sweet would work as well

For the whiskey glaze:

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • For the cake:
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the center-most position.
  • Butter a 13 x 9 baking pan.
  • Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, eggs, flour mixture, and whiskey, stirring well after each addition. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Sprinkle the batter evenly with the pecans and chocolate chips. Bake about 40 minutes, until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
  • Cool the cake on a wire rack completely.

For the glaze:

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. While still on the burner, stir in the sugar, 1 Tbs. of the whiskey, and vanilla. Be careful with fire and alcohol.  If you're hesitant to try that, add off the heat and put the pan back on the burner.
  • Whisk until well blended and heated through. Drizzle over the cooled cake. 
  • The cake is delicious now and even better over the next day or two.

Notes

  • If you like a heavily frosted cake effect, you can double the glaze recipe. 
  • If you'd prefer not to use Jack Daniels in the glaze (the alcohol does not cook out), you can substitute milk for the whiskey.
Keyword cake, chocolate, chocolate chips, coffee cake, pecans, whiskey