Ingredients

For the Bourbon Chocolate Cake:
• Butter, for greasing two, 8-inch round cake pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups natural cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (can sub vegetable or canola oil)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• 1/4 cup bourbon
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
• 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
For the Caramel Drizzle:
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon table salt
For assembly:
• 3/4 cup chopped chocolate-covered pretzels
• 12-18 whole chocolate-covered pretzels

Instructions

To prepare the Bourbon Chocolate Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then butter and flour.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
• In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the bourbon and coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 34-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
To prepare the Caramel Drizzle:
• Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan. Set aside.
• Place the sugar in a separate, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat on medium high until the it begins to melt around the edges. Carefully swirl the sugar with a heatproof spatula until all the sugar has melted and has reached about 338F on a candy thermometer.
• Add the butter in pieces, and stir until melted. Very carefully add the warm cream (it may bubble up) and stir until smooth. Stir in the salt.
• Pour caramel into a jar and let cool to room temperature while you make the frosting.
To prepare the Peanut Butter Frosting:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter & peanut butter and beat until smooth.
• Add the bourbon and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
• Gradually mix in the confectioner's sugar until thick and creamy. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. If icing appears too thick, you can add in a couple of teaspoons of milk (or more bourbon), one teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
To Assemble:
• If desired, level your cakes to remove domed tops and create a more even, professional-looking cake.
• Place one layer of chocolate cake on a cardboard round and top with about 1/4 cup (a pretty thin layer) of frosting. Top with chopped chocolate-covered pretzels.
• Top with the second layer of chocolate cake, then frost the cake with a very thin crumb coat layer of icing (this will help achieve a smooth finish) and refrigerate until icing is set, about 30 minutes.
• Use the remaining frosting to cover the outside of the cake. Decorate the sides of the cake with chocolate-covered pretzels, leaving them off the top for now, and then place back into the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to chill. The cold icing will prevent the caramel stick to the cake instead of dripping all of the way off of the sides.
• Once chilled, pour about a cup of caramel over the top and use a spatula to carefully push small amounts of the topping over the edges of the cake to create a drizzle affect.
• Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate-covered pretzels.