OLD FASHIONED COCKTAIL BUNDT CAKE

Old Fashioned Cocktail Bundt Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup bourbon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch Bundt cake pan.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. I place the ingredients in a fine mesh sieve to sift them together into the bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until smooth, using medium speed.

Place the buttermilk, bourbon and vanilla in a measuring cup.

Lower the speed of the mixer, then add the dry ingredients while alternating with the liquid and beat until the batter is smooth.

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top.

Bake the cake for about 50 to 55 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully invert it onto a plate and pour about 1/4 cup of the glaze on the bottom of the pan.

Place the cake back into the cake pan. Poke small holes with a fork or knife on the top (which will be the bottom) of the cake. While the cake is still warm, slowly pour about half of the glaze over the bottom of the cake.

Invert the cake (for the last time) onto a serving plate with a rim, and poke holes on the top and sides of the cake, then carefully and slowly pour the glaze over the top and sides of the cake until it’s gone.

Old Fashioned Cocktail Glaze

Prepare the glaze while the cake is baking.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons orange bitters

1 tablespoon orange zest

5 to 10 maraschino cherries, minced

3/4 cup bourbon

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add the water and sugar. Boil about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

In a tall glass or measuring cup, combine the rest of the ingredients. Once the syrup is off the heat, carefully pour in the bourbon mixture. Stir until well mixed and pour on warm cake.

Note that you’re not cooking the bourbon at all, so make sure that you’re away from any open flames so that you don’t rearrange your eyebrows. Also, the alcohol won’t be cooked out of the glaze, so you might not want to feed this cake to toddlers.