Kentucky Bourbon Cake {and a Giveaway}

Some things in life are just simple.  Simple is sometimes the best way to go...I sometimes forget about simple...This cake is a very simple butter cake with bourbon.  And, no doubt...this time at BIWB, simple is best!  

Super easy, super rich, and super boozy.   All my favorite things! 

My friend, Susan (over at My Mother's Apron Strings), makes amazing and comforting Bundt  cakes of all sorts: lemon, apple fritter, pumpkin caramel, banana, vanilla...I've had my eye in making a boozy version of her vanilla Bundt cake for quite some time.  I knew I wanted a solid vanilla butter cake and my booze of choice would, of course, be bourbon.

I love the smell and taste of bourbon baked in a vanilla cake.  I especially love when the bourbon is used in the soaking sauce AND in the glaze.  This cake does both and does not disappoint.  

I used my new cookbook, Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson.  She has some great recipes and lots of nostalgia about each cake.  This cake is inspired by, what else, her Kentucky Bourbon Cake.  I made mine with dates; you don't have to, neither does Julie.  It's all good!

And, because we love you and we love our Bundt cakes, we are giving away a Nordic Ware Fleur di Lis Bundt Pan!  We also must thank our friends at Sur La Table for helping us with this giveaway.  

To enter, please leave us a comment and tell us which cake you would make from Vintage Cakes.  Our giveaway is open to any one who lives on the planet, of course.  You have until 9pm PST, February 10, 2013 to enter.   Please also tell us how to contact you.  

Ready, set, go!   

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Step-by-Step

Cream and then beat the butter and sugars on medium high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Scrape the bowl a few times.

Beat in the eggs, one a time, scraping the sides between each egg. 

Beat in the vanilla extract.  My dear friend, Susan, sent me Tahitian vanilla beans last year and I made homemade vanilla extract.  Dark, full of beans...So amazing!

In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and bourbon.  With the mixer on low, add the flour and bourbon mixtures, alternating with flour in 3 parts and bourbon mixture in 2 parts.  Mix just to combine and finish the last bit by hand.

Chop and then fold in the dates, if using.  Next time, I will use more dates.  :)

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Set in the middle rack of the oven.

Bake as directed until golden brown and a toothpick/skewer inserted all the way down comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Take a larger wooden skewer and poke holes all the way through the cake. 

Start making the bourbon sauce.  Melt the butter and combine it with the sugar and vanilla. Off the heat, added the bourbon (or it might flame up).  Return to the heat and heat until just bubbly and the sugar is completely dissolved.  Keep warm.

To glaze the cake, SLOWLY pour about 3/4 of the bourbon sauce over the cake.  Reserve the remaining sauce. Let cake cool completely in the pan for about 2 hours.   Note: I have a heavy gauge pan, so it takes a bit longer.

Natasha was my good luck charm as I crossed my fingers that this cake would come out cleanly...

Turn out the cake onto a serving platter.  Woot!!  Success!!  This is why you need a Nordic Ware Bundt pan.  Seriously worth every single penny...

Rewarm the sauce on low heat (or for a few seconds in the microwave).   Brush the top of the cake with the reserved bourbon sauce to glaze the cake.

Let the glaze cool completely before slicing.  

Have a few shots...Funnily, I never drink while baking for this blog...Hum...

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Inspired by Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

Makes 1 Bundt Cake

Ingredients

Cake

3 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp fine salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/3 cup Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon

1/2 cup dates, chopped (optional)

Bourbon Soaking Sauce (and Glaze)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

1/2 cup Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F and spray Bundt pan (10 cup minimum, or tube pan) with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream and then beat the butter and sugars on medium high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Scrape the bowl a few times.

4. Beat in the eggs, one a time, scraping the sides between each egg.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and bourbon.  With the mixer on low, add the flour and bourbon mixtures, alternating with flour in 3 parts and bourbon mixture in 2 parts.  Mix just to combine and finish the last bit by hand.  Fold in the dates, if using.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Set in the middle rack of the oven. 

7. Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted all the way down comes out clean.  {I use 4 inch wooden skewers/toothpicks.}

8. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Take a larger wooden skewer and poke holes all the way through the cake. 

Make the Bourbon Soaking Sauce 

1. During the last 5 minutes of the cake baking, start making the sauce.

2. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, melt the butter and combine it with the sugar and vanilla.  
3. Off the heat, added the bourbon.  Return to the heat and heat until just bubbly and the sugar is completely dissolved.  Keep warm.

Glaze the Cake

1. After poking the holes, gently and slowly pour about 3/4 of the bourbon sauce over the cake.  Reserve the remaining glaze.

2. Let cake cool completely in the pan.  This can take up to 2 hours.

3. Turn out the cake onto a serving platter.  Rewarm the glaze on low heat.  Brush the top of the cake with the reserved bourbon sauce to glaze the cake.  Let the glaze cool completely before slicing.

This Kentucky Bourbon Cake making is tough work for Natasha...

Ellen