Oooooh yeah, I said it: Bourbon. Caramel.
It tastes just as decadent as it sounds, too. Trust me. I used this deliciousness three times in two weeks, and all I can say is W.O.W.
Originally I made this caramel for a special order cake – Kentucky derby themed (hence the horseshoe and the sugar roses on top). The client gave me no specifics for the cake flavors, only that she wanted something to bring to her Kentucky derby party, but I just had to work some Bourbon into it to stay true to the derby theme. The caramel seemed like the perfect touch for it, and it seemed like they all agreed!
Next I was invited to dinner with friends for the day after the cake was due and was asked to make a dessert so OF COURSE I made extra Bourbon Caramel, certain that I was going to use it but not positive how. The answer came to me pretty quickly because chocolate is one of my absolute favorite things on this entire planet, so I started brainstorming about how to pair chocolate with this delicious specimen and I came up with a tart: a delicious, semisweet chocolate crust, filled with my delectable new caramel, and topped with a thin spread of dark chocolate ganache and dusted with a light sprinkle of coarse grain sea salt. It was delicious and I didn’t even stop to take a photo of it before we devoured it! (Sorry for the lack of visual evidence, but I hope I described it well enough for you to envision it.)
The last time I made this Bourbon Caramel was for myself... sort of. The man candy and I just had our anniversary, so to celebrate I stayed up late last night and made myself a cake that was a play on a "turtle" flavor profile – basically chocolate and caramel without the pecans because I had more than my fair share of pecans growing up in New Orleans and don't want them in my cake [Pro-tip: Always pronounce it “pick-CON” instead of “PEE-can” to avoid being mocked by literally everyone.]
I say that I made this cake for myself because he is on another island competing in a triathlon and wouldn’t have eaten it anyway if he was here. (He’s real – I swear!) So this cake is for me. I wanted pretty red roses on top, but got my base coloring for the dye all wrong (remember, no one is perfect!), so I went with this weird purple/dusty mauve color that happened. Stay tuned for photos of when I finally cut into it (if I stop shoveling it into my mouth long enough to take one this time).
Last but not least, it's Mother's Day! I want to wish my own mom a very happy day even though I can't be with you today!! Also to my sister, cousins, aunts, and friends who are mothers - have a wonderful day. You deserve it!
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UPDATE: The cake was delicious! Chocolate, Bourbon Caramel, and buttercream go so unbelievably well together. I just thought you should know!