In college, my boyfriend, Graham, took a writing class based on Cincinnati. Each week local writers came in and spoke to the class about their work. One day he texted me from class and said, “Don’t be mad, but the speaker in class today is an editor for the Joy of Cooking.”
If only he would have looked at his syllabus before class. He would have known the speaker was going to be an editor of a famous cookbook. I could have gone to class with him! Knowing I would be jealous, Graham got the speaker’s business card to give me as a consolation prize.
That speaker was Maggie Green, who has since become my writing coach, mentor, and friend. Maggie is a Kentucky native and has published two cookbooks on Kentucky cooking, The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook and Tasting Kentucky.
Tasting Kentucky, her latest book, features favorite recipes from the Bluegrass State. You’ll find Kentucky classics like Hot Browns, burgoo, and mint juleps. Maggie has also included modern recipes from chefs like Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville. I’m thrilled to share her recipe for Kentucky Marbled Bourbon Pound Cake.
Marbled Bourbon Pound Cake Recipe
Maggie Green
Yields 1 (10-inch) tube cake
Ingredients
3 cups (345 grams) cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks / 207 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (107 grams) light brown sugar, packed firm
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly spray a 10-inch tube pan with nonstick baking spray and dust with flour. Alternately, great and flour the pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl to be sure all the butter, sugar, and eggs are well blended.
In a small bowl, whisk together the bourbon and buttermilk.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and eggs in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, scrape the bowl.
Using a 2-cup measuring cup, remove 1 cup of batter from the bowl. Stir the cocoa powder into this cup of batter.
Pour half of the remaining plain batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with three or four large spoonfuls of the chocolate batter. Add the rest of the plain batter and finish with any remaining chocolate batter. Gently tap the pan on the countertop. With a thin knife, swirl the batter together several times in a zigzag motion to spread the chocolate batter throughout the cake batter. Don't overdo it.
Bake until the cake is lightly browned on the edges and springs back in the center when lightly pressed with a finger, 55-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest on a cooling rack while you prepare the glaze.
In a saucepan, whisk together the butter, sugar, and bourbon over low heat just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Do not allow the mixture to boil or it will become hard.
With a long, thin skewer, poke holes all over the exposed top of the cake. Drizzle half of the glaze on the cake, allowing the glaze to soak into the holes and into the cake. Let cool for 30 minutes.
Turn the cake out onto a platter so the glazed side is down. Reheat the glaze if necessary to thin and drizzle or brush over the top of the cake.
Notes
This recipe can be found in the wonderful cookbook, Tasting Kentucky by Maggie Green.
Buy the Book: Tasting Kentucky by Maggie Green
Be sure to check out Maggie’s first book: The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook
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