Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Southeast Kansas
Posts: 878
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Our absolute favorite for "homemade" fruit cake!
Kentucky Bourbon Cake/Whiskey Cake
Servings
24 servings
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Kosher Key
Dairy
Description
History and a traditional recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Cake from food historian Gil Marks. Bourbon spiced cake filled with dried fruit and nuts.
Ingredients
Fruit and Nut Ingredients
- 5 cups seedless dark raisins (24 ounces/680 grams)
- 1 cup candied pineapple or citron (5.25 ounces/150 grams)
- 2 cups good quality bourbon or Tennessee whiskey (do not use a blend) (16 ounces/450 grams)
- 4 cups coarsely chopped pecans (16 ounces/500 grams)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted (2 ounces/60 grams)
Batter Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (17 ounces/480 grams)
- 2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (1 whole nutmeg) (or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves)
- 1 tsp double-acting baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (65 to 67°F) (3 sticks/12 ounces/340 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (14 ounces/400 grams)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (7.5 ounces/210 grams)
- 6 large egg yolks (7 tablespoons/4 ounces/115 grams)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp grated orange zest (optional)
- 6 large egg whites (¾ cup/6 ounces/180 grams)
Recipe Notes
You will also need: One 10-inch tube cake, two 9-inch rounds, or four 9- by 5-inch loaves, large mixing bowls, sifter, hand mixer, roasting pan or large baking pan,
Instructions
- In a large bowl or jar, combine the raisins and pineapple. Add the bourbon, cover, and let soak for at least 8 hours or, for a more intense flavor, up to 48 hours.
- Drain the fruit, reserving 1 cup bourbon. (You can imagine what cooks do with any leftover bourbon.) Place the fruit and pecans in a large bowl, add the ½ cup flour, and toss to coat and separate any clumps.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven. Place a roasting pan or large baking pan on the lower rack of the oven and add 1-inch of boiling water. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Grease one 10- by 4-inch (16-cup) tube pan, two 9-inch springform pans or 8-inch (8-cup) tube pans, or four 1-pound coffee tins or 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pans, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper or greased pieces of brown paper bag, grease again, and dust with flour.
- To make the batter: Sift together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
- In a very large bowl, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium, gradually add the sugars, and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the vanilla and, if using, zest.
- Add the flour mixture in 3 stages alternately with the reserved 1 cup bourbon, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff but not dry, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Fold ¼ of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
- Stir in the fruit and nut mixture.
- Pour into the prepared pan, tapping to remove any air pockets, but do not pack down.
- Bake, rotating the pan every 45 minutes or so, until a wooden tester inserted in the center comes out clean or the internal temperature registers 200 to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3½ to 4 hours for a 10-inch tube pan, 3 hours for springform pans, 2¼ hours for 8-inch tube pans, and about 2 hours for loaf pans. Place on a wire rack and let cool in the pan, at least 2 hours.
- Remove the cake from the pan. The taste and texture improves as the cake ages. You can wrap the cake airtight and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Or to age the cake, wrap it in a cloth or double layer of cheesecloth dampened with bourbon, place in an airtight container or wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil, and let stand in a cool, dry place for at least 2 weeks.
VARIATIONS
- Chocolate Bourbon Cake: Omit the nutmeg. With the flour, sift 2 tablespoons non-alkalized (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder and with the vanilla add 5 ounces (140 grams) melted unsweetened chocolate. If desired, also add ¼ cup instant espresso powder or coffee powder.
- Substitute 3 cups (16 ounces/455 grams) seedless golden raisins for the dark raisins and pineapple.
- Pecan Fruitcake: Substitute 2 cups golden raisins (10 ounces/290 grams) for the dark raisins; increase the candied pineapple or citron to 2 cups (10.5 ounces/300 grams) – or use 2 cups coarsely chopped pitted dates (12 ounces/340 grams); and add 2 cups red candied cherries.
Last edited by Patihum; October 25, 2018 at 04:42 PM.
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