Chocolate Poundcake with Bacon Bourbon Frosting

[nverland]

Chocolate Poundcake with Bacon Bourbon Frosting
Yield: makes two 9x5 cakes
Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling time)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
2 ¾ cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups buttermilk

Bourbon bacon frosting
8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans with butter and sprinkle them with cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer (fitted with the paddle), add the butter and beat until creamy and smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides when needed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for a minute or so and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add ½ of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium, beating until the batter is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until cake is set in the middle. Let cool completely.

Bourbon bacon frosting
Add the butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on medium speed until creamy and blended. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Add in the bourbon and vanilla extract, then beat the frosting on medium to high speed until creamy, scraping down the sides when needed. Stir in half of the bacon with a spatula. Frost the cakes once cooled, then sprinkle the remaining bacon on top.