7 Steps to Heaven: Whiskey Cake

The first cake I ever baked (in foreground). That’s me in back on the left. This was my “Gourmet Group” I made a jelly mould (which I’m holding) open-faced Velveeta-cheese tuna burgers and the cake, which had gumdrop shamrocks and marshmallows on top. We had tea in china cups and even a drop of “Baby Duck” to give it extra class.

Kat’s Whiskey Cake

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Irish whiskey (I use Bushmill’s, but Jameson’s or any GOOD Irish whiskey will do.)

1/3 cup Becel oil

1/3 cup water

1/2 package butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (I use organic – they are sooo good!)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a bundt cake pan (I use a bit of the cake mix to coat the pan).
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the centre and pour in eggs, milk, water, whiskey and oil. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Stir in 1/4 package butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4. When cake is cool, turn out on a cake rack and transfer to a cake plate. Pierce top of cake with a fork (make about 20 punctures).
5. 5. Place remaining butterscotch chips and walnuts in microwave-save dish or measuring cup, add 1 Tbsp. of water and melt in microwave. Do not overcook.

6. Stir in a small amount of icing sugar (about 1 Tbsp or so) and 1 Tbsp of whiskey to make a glaze.

(It should be thin enough to drip from a spoon.)

7. Spoon over the cooled cake and let the glaze soak into the fork-holes. Let set for a few minutes.

I made this cake on St. Patrick’s Day, for the guys in the office where I used to work (I was the only female). It was a bit hit! We even gave a piece to a mail-guy who showed up. The luck of the Irish was with HIM that day!

The glaze is what makes this cake – you get the whiskey without the alcohol being baked out of it, but only a taste!

It may sound complicated, but this cake is actually simple to make and so worth the time!

Sláinte! (To your health!)

Kat

P.S. Be sure to check out this post on the mythology of the Aran sweater at Willow Manor’s Weekly Word.