Having invested in a bundt tin, I’ve started looking for recipes that taste as well as the tin looks. This recipe makes a hearty spice-filled bundt made from grated apples and toasted nuts, then soaked in whiskey syrup. Plus, a bundt cake, which is really just like an oversize muffin baked in a fancy pan, is easy to whip up. The booze bath helps keep it fresh, meaning you can bake it ahead and eat the leftovers for days.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 sticks unsalted butter 226 grams, at room temperature, plus more to grease pan
- 2 ½ cups plain flour 315 grams, plus more to dust the pan
- 3 tablespoons (30 grams) whiskey
- ½ cup (90 grams) candied ginger, chopped
- 1 ¾ cup (330 grams) light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) bicarbonate of soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 cup (227 grams) sour cream or yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon (5 grams) finely grated lemon zest
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples about a pound, 454 grams, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
- 1 cup (120 grams) finely chopped, toasted pecans
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (20 grams)
- 1/2 cup whiskey (20 grams)
PREPARATION
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons whisky and the candied ginger. Let stand 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and remaining butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Pour in the bourbon from the ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in zest.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating between the two. Fold in the ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Any excess can be used in muffin tins and baked for around 20 minutes in the oven with the cake.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake; cool, flat side down, on a wire rack.
- While the cake cools, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup whiskey in a small saucepan. Over low heat, gently stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lemon juice and take off the heat.
- Make sure the cake is loose enough to release fully from the tin. Poke holes in the flat bottom of the still-warm cake, pouring half of the whisky glaze on the bottom and letting it sink in. Flip the cake out of the tin.
- While the cake cools, make 10 slits on top with a paring knife and pour the remaining half the bourbon-sugar mixture on the still-warm cake.
PS I’ve included the whole recipe as I received it, but there’s quite a lot going on flavour wise.
Depending on what you have in the cupboard you could lose any (but not all of) the whisky, lemon, ginger, vanilla, apples or pecans.
Including the first three only tastes a bit like a whisky toddy whilst including just the last three (vanilla, apples or pecans) feels more of a wholesome family cake. Whisky/pecan is also good combination.