For the cake:

1. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
6. Slowly add the milk and Bourbon and mix until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled, but that’s ok.
7. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
9. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
10. While the cake bakes and cools, make the Bourbon Caramel Sauce and allow that to cool to room temperature.

For the frosting:

1. To make the frosting, beat the butter until smooth.
2. Slowly add half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla extract, half of the Bourbon and the salt and mix until smooth.
4. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional Bourbon, as needed, to get the right consistency of frosting.

To build the cake:

1. To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat. These cakes don’t have a large dome, but I like to make sure they’re completely flat.
2. Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
3. Spread about 1/2 a cup of buttercream evenly on top of the cake.
4. Pipe a dam of buttercream around the outer edge of the cake, on top of the layer of buttercream you just added. Fill the dam with about 1/3 a cup of Bourbon caramel sauce and spread evenly. After filling the dam, level off any excess. You want the top of the dam to be even with the caramel sauce.
5. Add the second layer of cake and another layer of frosting, a dam and Bourbon caramel sauce.
6. Top the cake with the remaining layer and frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
7. Use the remaining Bourbon caramel sauce to add a drip to the sides of the cake, if desired. I also drizzled some sauce in a round circular pattern on top of the cake.
8. Use the remaining buttercream to pipe a border around the top edge of the cake. I used Ateco tip 847.
9. Store cake in an air-tight container in the fridge. Serve cool, but not super cold. Cake is best if eaten within 3-4 days.