Kentucky Bourbon Cake Recipe

Name: Kentucky Bourbon Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 205 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces red candied cherries, halved; 8 ounces green candied cherries, halved; 8 ounces seedless raisins or chopped dates; 2 cups bourbon whiskey; 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed; 6 large eggs, separated; 5 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups chopped pecans; 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon baking powder

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 3 hrs

Total: 3 hrs 25 mins

Servings: 12 to 16 servings

Yield: 1 10-inch cake

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The dried fruit is soaked in bourbon overnight, so plan to begin this cake a day in advance. Use a good quality Kentucky bourbon in this recipe.

You may add some candied peels or citron to the cake as well. Just decrease some of the other fruits. And feel free to use walnuts instead of pecans. The green and red candied cherries give the cake a beautiful color.

8 ounces red candied cherries, halved
8 ounces green candied cherries, halved
8 ounces seedless raisins
2 cups bourbon whiskey
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
6 large eggs, separated
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder

In a medium bowl, combine the cherries, raisins, and bourbon; cover and let soak overnight.
Preheat the oven to 275 F.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; add the egg yolks and beat well. Stir in the soaked fruit with bourbon.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the flour with the pecans; set aside. Add the remaining flour, nutmeg, and baking powder to the creamed mixture and blend well.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; gently fold into the cake batter. Sprinkle the floured pecans over batter and fold in gently.
Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan and line the bottom with greased waxed paper. Pour the batter into the pan; bake at 275 F for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Set the cake on a rack to cool.
Turn cake out of the pan, peel off the waxed paper and store in a tightly covered container for several days.

Recipe Variation

Replace the raisins with chopped dates, if you prefer.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
762	Calories
29g	Fat
108g	Carbs
8g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories	762
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g	38%
Saturated Fat 12g	62%
Cholesterol 116mg	39%
Sodium 78mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 108g	39%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 62g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 66mg	5%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 253mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.