Kentucky Bourbon Cake
Submitted by cookin4u
Kentucky bourbon cake with raisins soaked in whiskey, toasted pecans, and a bourbon brush after baking. A make-ahead Southern Bundt that gets better as it ages, wrapped in a bourbon-soaked cheesecloth.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
90 minREADY
2 hrsKentucky bourbon cake is the kind of Southern Bundt your grandmother kept wrapped in cheesecloth on top of the pie safe, getting better every week. The raisins soak in bourbon for hours, plumping up like little flavor bombs that stud the crumb. Five eggs and a long, slow creaming of butter and sugar give this cake its tight, tender texture that holds up to slicing thin.
The trick most folks miss is beating the butter and sugar a full 15 minutes. By the time you’re done, the mixture should look pale and almost whipped. That’s what makes the difference between a dense fruitcake and a proper bourbon cake with lift.
Lemon zest and a splash of juice cut the sweetness so the bourbon stays the headliner. Toasted pecans get tossed in flour before folding so they suspend in the batter instead of sinking.
Brush the warm cake with more bourbon. Wrap it in bourbon-soaked cheesecloth and let it sit a couple of days before slicing. The flavor deepens, the crumb settles, and it becomes the cake people remember.
Chef Tips
- Don’t rush the butter creaming. Pale and fluffy is the texture you want, almost like whipped cream.
- Toss raisins and pecans in the reserved flour. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
- Test for doneness with a toothpick at 1 hour 15 minutes. The center should come out with just a few crumbs.
- Aged cakes slice cleaner. Wait at least two days before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Variations
- Swap pecans for walnuts if that’s what’s on hand.
- Use dried cherries or cranberries in place of half the raisins for a tart edge.
- Drizzle a simple bourbon glaze of powdered sugar and a splash of whiskey over the top before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Marinate raisins in 1 cup of the bourbon for at least 1 hour, up to 12 hours; drain, reserving both raisins and bourbon.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt cake pan or other tube-cake pan.
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
(For best results, use an electric mixer and start beating at a slow speed, gradually increasing to moderate. If you allow this process to take about 15 minutes, the butter will be very pale and look something like whipped cream. This adds lightness to the cake.)
Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each.
In another bowl, sift together 3 ¾ cups of the flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
Combine reserved bourbon with the zest and lemon juice.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the bourbon mixture.
Toss the remaining ¼ cup of flour with the drained raisins and the pecans.
Fold into batter.
Bake about 1½ hours or until the cake tests done.
Cool about 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a rack.
Brush the remaining ½ cup of bourbon over the cake while it is still somewhat warm.
For long storage, wrap the cake in rinsed cheesecloth that has been thoroughly moistened in bourbon.
Then wrap in plastic or foil so that it is airtight.
The cake may be served after a day or two but is better if allowed to age.
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