Florida Zucchini, Georgia Pecans, & Kentucky Bourbon Cake

With zucchini taking over my life I decided to make a bundt cake using the zukes and it just got crazy from there.  The inspiration for this cake came from a rum cake recipe that used zucchini.  I thought why not use that bourbon we bought last month when we went on vacation to Kentucky.  Make it a zucchini bourbon cake. 

Kentucky is a beautiful state and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail took us to many rural parts of the state.  Even though we are not bourbon drinkers, the history of the distilleries and the beauty of the farmland was worth the trip.  We purchased a small bottle of bourbon at one of the distilleries as a souvenir. I decided this bourbon would be perfect for my cake.

Another addition to this cake was a cup of pecans.  During the fall my aunt picked up pecans from the trees in her yard, had them cracked, and my mom cleaned and bagged them for the freezer.  Of course they shared them generously with me.  Georgia pecans seemed to be the perfect nut for this cake.

Combining ingredients from these three southern states made a totally delicious southern cake. I do not know if I would call it a  Florida zucchini cake, a Kentucky Bourbon cake, or a Georgia Pecan cake. Whatever you decide to name it I have to say it is worth baking and I hope you will try it.

Here is the recipe for my three state bundt cake.

3/4 cup softened butter                                                              

2 cups white sugar                                                                     

3 eggs                                                                                         

2 cups grated zucchini                                                                

1/3 cup Kentucky bourbon

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

 1 1/2 tsp baking soda'

1 1/2 tsp salt

 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour Bundt pan

2. Cream together sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time. Stir in the grated zucchini and the Kentucky Bourbon

3. In another bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pecans.  Stir this into the sugar, butter and egg mixture until well combined.

4. Pour in Bundt pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cake and then invert in onto a cake plate.  Drizzle with bourbon glaze or a plain glaze.  Bourbon glaze is made by combing confectioners sugar with bourbon.  Or make a plain glaze made with milk and confectioners sugar if kids will be eating this cake.  No bourbon for the kids please.