Buttermilk Bourbon Cheesecake Layer Cake

Ingredients:

Buttermilk Bourbon Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 TBSP bourbon
• 3 cups cake flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp.salt
• 1 1/2 tsp, baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• ½ cup egg whites (from about 3 to 4 large eggs)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. bourbon flavoring

Instructions:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Have 1 rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and a second rack two-thirds from the bottom.
3. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds and spray with baking spray or butter and flour.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. Scrape down sides of bowl and add egg whites and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
7. Add 1/3 of flour mixture and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
8. Add half of buttermilk and beat on medium until mixed in.
9. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat adding flour mixture and buttermilk, finishing with remaining 1/3 of flour.
10. Batter will be thick and glossy.
11. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans, I like to use an ice cream scoop because the batter is so thick.
12. Set two cake pans on 1 oven rack and the third pan on the second rack, staggering them so cakes are not directly over each other.
13. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are flat and browned.
14. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes.
15. Invert onto racks to cool completely. (Cakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 weeks.)

For the pumpkin cheesecake filling:

1. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and the sugar.
2. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and beat until fully combined.
4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
5. Clean bowl.
6. Pour in heavy cream and using the whisk attachment beat until stiff peaks form.
7. Fold the heavy cream into the pumpkin mixture until fully incorporated.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make buttercream.

For the buttercream:

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the egg whites and granulated sugar. 
2. Whisk them together briefly by hand, just until they are combined so that the egg whites don’t begin cooking by themselves.
3. Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water and bring to a simmer. 
4. Place the mixer bowl with the egg white mixture on top to create a double-boiler.
5. The water should be kept at a simmer but should not touch the bottom of the bowl. 
6. The double-boiler acts as indirect heat for the egg white mixture.
7. Occasionally stirring, heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 155 to 160 degrees F on a candy thermometer. 
8. The mixture should be very hot to the touch and the sugar should have dissolved.
9. Once the egg white mixture is hot, carefully return the bowl to the stand mixer. 
10. Fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed for about 8 minutes. 
11. When done, the meringue should hold shiny, medium-stiff peaks and be cooled to room temperature. 
12. Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
13. With the mixer on low, begin adding in the butter a couple tablespoons at a time. 
14. Use the paddle attachment to mix it in. 
15. The butter must be room temperature in order to incorporate properly with the meringue.
16. Once the butter has been mixed in, add the vanilla extract.
17. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix until silky smooth. 
18. This may take a few minutes, but centime to mix until light, creamy, and free from most air bubbles.

To assemble:

1. Once the cakes are cooled, trim the tops as needed with a large serrated knife.
2. Place the bottom layer of cake on a cake board or serving dish.
3. Spread on 1/2 of the pumpkin cheesecake filling with an offset spatula.
4. Top with the next layer of cake and repeat.
5. Crumb coat and frost the cake with the buttercream.