The Brickyard Barn Inn's
Marbled Pecan Pound Cake

Ingredients:
   1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
   1/2 cup shortening
   3 cups sugar
   5 large eggs
   3 cups all-purpose flour
   1/2 teaspoon baking powder
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   1 cup milk
   1 teaspoon vanilla
   1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate (see note)
   1 tablespoon shortening
   1/2 cup chopped pecans
   Optional: Bourbon-Pecan Glaze or Bourbon-Pecan Sauce

Directions:
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Do not over beat.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Combine chocolate and 1 tablespoon shortening in a small, microwave proof cup; cook for 30 seconds at high power. Stir, then microwave 20 seconds, then stir again. Repeat process until chocolate melts. Remove 2 cups batter, and add chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Pour one-third of remaining plain batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan; top with half of chocolate batter. Repeat layers, ending with plain batter. Gently swirl batter with a knife to create marble effect, and sprinkle top of cake with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for l hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes, remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: one 10-inch cake.

Note: If you don't have the one ounce bar unsweetened chocolate, you can substitute 3 tablespoons dry baking cocoa (unsweetened) and 1 tablespoon shortening. And yes, this extra tablespoon shortening is IN ADDITION to the 1 tablespoon shortening listed in the recipe.

Serving options (choose either or both):

Bourbon-Pecan Glaze
   2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
   2 tablespoons bourbon (or substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
   2 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients; stir well. Drizzle over cake after cake has cooled. Optional: prinkle wet glaze with more chopped pecans.

Bourbon-Pecan Sauce
   1/3 cup sugar
   1 tablespoon cornstarch
   1 tablespoon butter
   3/4 water
   2 tablespoons bourbon (or substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
   1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil; boil one minute, stirring constantly. serve warm with cake. Yield: approximately 1 cup.

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