Butterscotch Swirl Cake

I was in need for some butterscotch.

Unlike chocolate which my heart is always calling out for without pause, butterscotch is one of those things that only beckons from time to time. Understand that I will never pass on butterscotch when it is offered my way, but I don’t often search it out unless I’m in a particular mood.

Chocolate’s naturally darker flavours help balance out the rich sweetness it comes along with. Butterscotch is often like pure unadulterated sugar goo. Well, I don’t mean goo really, I eat butterscotch in a solid form more often than not, what I mean is that all the adjectives that usually go with “goo” in the dessert world are strangely appropriate. Sticky, thick, sugary, rich, oozey… make your teeth scream out in pain/joy delicious. I easily associate all this with butterscotch.

However, it was oddly hard to find a good butterscotch based recipe that wasn’t for pudding. There would be butterscotch frostings with chocolate cake and butterscotch cakes with chocolate frosting… I just wanted some good butterscotch on butterscotch action without futzing about with other stuff. I could do pudding but it didn’t seem like the most elegant thing to take in to work. Not that I’m particularly elegant. But that’s not what we’re talking about…

Scouring the internet, I found my cake.

Now, this cake is still butterscotch cake swirled with something else, but when the something else is sour cream cake with a touch of rum extract? I think it’s more so like a supporting role to prevent instantaneous sugar comas (which at work, I’m kinda in favour of) as opposed to the various chocolate applications which I feared would make the cake less about the butterscotch.

And then the whole thing is doused with butterscotch glaze. And pecans. Yeah, okay, I was easily sold.

Butterscotch craving, prepare to be satiated!

Adapted from Taste of Home

Cake

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 teaspoons rum extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 3/4 cup butterscotch ice cream topping
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Butterscotch Glaze

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons 2% milk
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-in. bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 5 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition.
3. Transfer 2 cups of batter to another large bowl; beat in the pudding mix, butterscotch topping and remaining egg until well blended. Mix butterscotch chips into  plain batter. Pour half of the plain batter into prepared pan. Top with half of the butterscotch batter; cut through with a knife to swirl. Repeat layers and swirl.
4. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Glaze: Toast pecans in the oven until fragrant, about 5-10 minutes. Stir pecans every couple of minutes.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over cake; sprinkle with pecans.

Yield: 12 servings.

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