Don't Make This for Your Kids

Ouch, I did it again.

Some of my friends are addicted to handbags (actually, I could go there, but I don’t).  Still others of them are addicted to clothes (not me, I dress like a lesbian, no disrespect intended).  Then there are those who just can’t pass up the next pair of shoes (I’ll pass on that one, too).  My personal addiction (other than food, of course) revolves around cake pans.  Yes, cake pans.

You already know about my collection of “regular” bundt pans.  

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2011/09/let-them-eat-

You also know about that “Krispy Kreme” Bavaria cake pan I acquired a while ago.

cake.html/http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2012/01/krispy-kreme-cake.html

In truth, I have enough cake pans in my arsenal to bake enough cake to feed everyone who attended that ill-fated Falcons game the other day (c’mon – I live in Atlanta).  One would think I should stop already.

But, no!  Internet shopping is the curse of mankind, and in my case it means perusing for more cake pans.  The Nordic Ware website is my new best friend, so when I saw their Heritage bundt pan, all bets were off.  One click and I was done.

http://www.nordicware.com/store/products/detail/heritage-bundt/35B8A95A-F5A9-11E0-B8E4-005056A42C5A

 Of course, once I got the damn thing, I had to bake a cake in it.  IN JANUARY, when we are all watching what we eat and carbs and sugar are big no-no’s.   Guess I could have had better timing.

Since I decided that I will never be a skinny cook (despite my good intentions which commence every January), I turned to that new cookbook of mine, Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson, and harkened upon her recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Cake.  Done and done.  There’s enough booze in it that you will forget your scruples and forgo any regrets about eating it. 

Yeah, it’s that good.  It's rich and boozy and trust me, you do not want to serve this to your underage kids.  That said, you do want to make it for the adults in your life.  Even in January.

BOOZY BOURBON CAKE   (adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson)

For the cake:

3 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

½ cup good quality bourbon

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

For the glaze:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup good quality bourbon

Heavily grease a 10-cup metal tube pan (preferably fluted).  I used cooking spray for this, but you could also brush it well with melted butter.  Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Use a whisk to blend well.  Set aside.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes, scraping bowl down often.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine bourbon and buttermilk (I used a 2-cup liquid measure for this).  With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the bourbon/buttermilk.  Mix only until barely blended, then use a rubber spatula to finish by hand.

Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Rap pan once sharply on counter to remove any air bubbles.  Bake until cake is done and a tester comes out clean, 40 – 50 minutes.

Meanwhile make the glaze by combining the butter, sugar and bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.  Stir until smooth and blended.

Remove cake from oven.  Use a wooden skewer to poke lots of holes all over the top of the cake.  Pour three-quarters of the glaze slowly over the cake, allowing it to absorb.  Let cake cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.  Brush the top with remaining glaze (if it has thickened, rewarm it over low heat).

Yield:  12 servings

*  Now I don't expect you to jump all over this and buy that cake pan, but I will tell you its great benefit is that it yields lots of crispy edges on your cake.  Just sayin'....

*  Sorry to give you another cake recipe.  I'll try to make the next post a little healthier.  Well, maybe.  Then again ... maybe not!