Think of this as the love child of holiday fruit cake (without the dense heaviness) and Caribbean rum cake (swapping bourbon for rum), creating a new sophisticated holiday favorite for the adults. Take note that you need to make this cake a day ahead of serving, to properly let the bourbon glaze soak into the cake.
1/2cuproom temperature unsalted butter115 g or 1 stick
1/2cupvegetable oil
1teaspoonvanilla extract
4large eggs
1/2cupmilkany type
1/2cupbourbon
2tablespoonssweet vermouth
1/4teaspoonANOGOSTURA bitters
Zest from 1 medium orange
2cupsmaraschino cherriesdrained and roughly chopped, two 10 ounce jars
Glaze
1/2cupbutter1 stick
1cupwhite sugar200 g
3/4cupbourbon
1tablespoonsweet vermouth
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1/4teaspoonANGOSTURA bitters
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a standard size (10-cup capacity) bundt pan with cooking oil evenly, then dust lightly with flour.
Make the cake batter by placing the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, oil and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the butter and oil are incorporated and the mixture starts to look a bit like wet sand.
Place the eggs, milk, bourbon, sweet vermouth, ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters and orange zest in a different mixing bowl and beat together with a fork.
While the mixer is turned on low, slowly drizzle the wet ingredients into the mixer bowl, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the wet ingredients are incorporated into the batter, fold in the chopped cherries.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. Once the cake is baked, let cool in the baking pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the butter, sugar, bourbon, sweet vermouth and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook on high until boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer. Be careful, as the glaze will bubble up at first. Simmer the glaze for 5 to 7 minutes or until the glaze starts to thicken slightly. Once done, remove carefully from the heat and stir in the ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters.
Once the cake has finished cooling for 20 minutes (it will still be warm), invert it onto a wire rack and release it from the pan. You might need to coax it out a bit with a thin knife. Once it’s been removed, clean up the inside of the pan a bit with a paper towel, or stiff pastry brush (no need to go crazy, just brush out anything big and sticky), then place the bundt pan back over the cake and invert it again. Basically, you are releasing the cake while it’s warm and easier to take out, then putting it back into the pan so you can let it soak up the glaze. The cake should now be upside down in the bundt pan.
Using a skewer, poke several holes all over the bottom of the cake. Then, using a spoon, drizzle some of the glaze over the bottom of the cake (while it is still in the pan). Continue to do this until all the glaze has been poured over the cake. Cover the cake with plastic wrap, then let sit at room temperature overnight, allowing the cake to fully absorb the glaze.
The next day, invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand and serve. If the cake is having a hard time coming out of the pan, place it in a 350°F preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes to help release the cake from pan. Once on the cake plate or stand, slice into pieces and enjoy!
Notes
This post was sponsored by THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA. I was compensated for this post and for developing the recipe. However, all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed by THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA.