A co-worker brought in her copy of Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson It’s a great recipe book full of old timey recipes that have been slightly updated (I’ve already ordered a copy). While flipping through the pages, I kept coming back to the Kentucky Bourbon Cake recipe. I don’t know, maybe it’s from my love of a good bourbon cocktail, but I really wanted to make this cake. I also had pretty bundt pan that doesn’t get much use and I wanted to show it a little love.
This cake was fantastic!! It was dense like a pound cake, but still light and airy. The cake itself had just a hint of bourbon flavor, but as you ate your way to the edge, the soaked bits of cake came into play making my taste buds very happy. At no point are you overwhelmed by whiskey, just happy and satisfied. Day two was even better than day one. By day three, the bourbon flavor began to dissipate, but it left a slightly caramel flavor behind, which was very nice. Can you tell that the cake never made it to the office?
My only snag with the cake was the glaze. I think I cooked it a little too long making it a little on the thicker than I think it should be. You’re supposed to poke holes in the bottom of the cake and let the glaze soak in. My glaze didn’t get much further than ½ an inch in, so my glaze was basically only around the edges. Luckily, it wasn’t enough to make me disappointed about the cake. I still loved/love it!
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture by hand to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. As you make the batter, stop the mixture frequently and scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend in the eggs one at a time. Combine the bourbon and buttermilk in a small bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk-bourbon mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape down the bowl. Stop the mixture before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cake is golden and springs back when touched, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Combine the butter, sugar and bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, whisking to combine.
- Remove the cake from the oven but leave it in the pan. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a wooden skewer. Pour three-quarters of the glaze slowly over the cake, reserving the remaining glaze. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes, then flip it out onto a serving plate so the glazed part is on the bottom. Brush the top with the remaining glaze. If the glaze has thickened, re-warm it over low heat.
I’ve never tried a recipe with bourbon before but this cake looks so soft and tasty! Hope you’ll have better luck with the glaze next time, they can be a pain in the ass!