Bourbon Date Nut Cake Recipes

KENTUCKY BOURBON CAKE/WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl or jar, combine the raisins and pineapple. Add the bourbon, cover, and let soak for at least 8 hours or, for a more intense flavor, up to 48 hours.
• Drain the fruit, reserving 1 cup bourbon. (You can imagine what cooks do with any leftover bourbon.) Place the fruit and pecans in a large bowl, add the ½ cup flour, and toss to coat and separate any clumps.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven. Place a roasting pan or large baking pan on the lower rack of the oven and add 1-inch of boiling water. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Grease one 10- by 4-inch (16-cup) tube pan, two 9-inch springform pans or 8-inch (8-cup) tube pans, or four 1-pound coffee tins or 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pans, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper or greased pieces of brown paper bag, grease again, and dust with flour.
• To make the batter: Sift together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
• In a very large bowl, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.Increase the speed to medium, gradually add the sugars, and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the vanilla and, if using, zest.
• Add the flour mixture in 3 stages alternately with the reserved 1 cup bourbon, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until stiff but not dry, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Fold ¼ of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
• Stir in the fruit and nut mixture.
• Pour into the prepared pan, tapping to remove any air pockets, but do not pack down.
• Bake, rotating the pan every 45 minutes or so, until a wooden tester inserted in the center comes out clean or the internal temperature registers 200 to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3½ to 4 hours for a 10-inch tube pan, 3 hours for springform pans, 2¼ hours for 8-inch tube pans, and about 2 hours for loaf pans. Place on a wire rack and let cool in the pan, at least 2 hours.
• Remove the cake from the pan. The taste and texture improves as the cake ages. You can wrap the cake airtight and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
• Or to age the cake, wrap it in a cloth or double layer of cheesecloth dampened with bourbon, place in an airtight container or wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil, and let stand in a cool, dry place for at least 2 weeks.

SOUTHERN NUT CAKE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• 1) Move an oven rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 x 4-inch tube pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pan with fine dried bread crumbs. Set aside. 2) Place walnuts and pecans into a very large mixing bowl or roasting pan. 3) Combine flour, baking powder, mace and salt in another bowl. Whisk to combine. 4) Combine milk and 1/4 cup brandy or bourbon in another bowl. Set aside. 5) Cream butter in large bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat at moderate speed for two or three minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until incorporated. Increase speed and beat until light and fluffy. 6) On low speed alternately add flour mixture in three additions and milk mixture in two, beating only until smooth after each addition. Pour batter over nuts and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until nuts are coated with batter. Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top to even. 7) Bake for 1-3/4 hours or until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Transfer cake to a cooling rack. While cake is still hot brush top with reserved 1/4 cup brandy or bourbon. Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes. Cover cake with a cooling rack and invert to remove paper. Invert again and cool in upright position. Let cake age for 24 hours before serving. Yield: 16 servings.

DATE NUT BREAD

Steps:

• Combine baking soda with the boiling water. Soak the dates in the water and baking soda solution for 30 minutes.
• Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs, vanilla, dates, nuts, flour, and salt.
• Divide batter equally between two 9 x 5 (or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2) inch greased loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) (or until loaf tests done). Can be frozen when cool.

DATE NUT LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring dates and water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar until melted. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Place date mixture into a large bowl. Blend in flour, eggs and vanilla. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Serve slices with Warm Sauce.
• To make Warm Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup butter with cream and brown sugar. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and sugar is dissolved.

DATE NUT CAKE- PROJECT VINTAGE RECIPES

Steps:

• Place chopped dates in a large bowl and sprinkle with baking soda.
• Pour boiling water over the dates and let sit until cool.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars and then add the beaten eggs.
• Mix until creamy.
• Sift the flours with the teaspoon of cinnamon and then slowly add to the butter mixture until all is incorporated.
• Add vanilla, dates (with water) and chopped nuts and stir until blended.
• Pour into two 9 inch greased and floured cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire racks.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
• This can also be served topped with fresh whipped cream.

BOURBON DATE NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Butter and flour an angel food pan or bundt pan.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Drop in eggs, one at a time, and stir after each addition.
• Sift flour, baking powder and nutmeg together, reserving 1/4 cup flour to dredge the nuts.
• Add the flour mixture, bourbon, almond and vanilla alternately.
• Flour the nuts, dates and coconut; fold into cake batter.
• Pour this mixture into the cake pan.
• Cover the cake with foil for the first few hours of the baking period, removing the foil at your discretion depending on how brown you want it to become.
• Place a pan of water in the oven to prevent cracking.
• Bake the cake for six hours-- Yes! That really is 250 degrees for 6 hours!
• Note: You might want to add more bourbon if 1 cup is not enough as some people really like it soaked.

DATE AND WALNUT BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then both coat inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray & sprinkle with flour.
• FOR THE CAKE ~ Combine dates & water in medium bowl, then stir in baking soda.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & selt.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter & brown sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla & orange zest.
• At low speed, beat in flour mixture until just combined.
• Stir in walnuts & dates (with the liquid included).
• Spread into prepared Bundt pan & bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.
• FOR THE SAUCE ~ Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring cream & 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer 5 minutes.
• Set aside & reserve 1 cup of sauce to brush over cake, then continue simmering remaining sauce for 10 more minutes to thicken.
• Stir in orange zest.
• After cooling for 10 minutes, invert cake onto wire rack.
• Poke holes all over with either a toothpick or a larger pick (I use a meat themometer!).
• Brush reserved cup of sauce over top of cake, then cool at least 45 minutes. [NOTE: Cake can be made up to 3 days ahead ~ Just cover & store at room temperature, while refrigerating the sauce.].
• When ready to serve, warm the sauce & enjoy!

GRAMMY'S OLD-FASHIONED PECAN DATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk and butter until combined. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together except for the dates. Once that is combined add the quartered dates (just cut each date into 4 pieces). Smash the dates around in the flower mixture until they are coated with flour and broken apart a little. Now, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Divide mixture into two GREASED (spray well with cooking spray) 9 inch round baking pans. Bake 25-30 minutes until mixture is cooked through and golden brown. Allow it to cool in the pan. Run a knife or spatula around edges and underneath to make sure it doesn't stick (this is a sticky cake). Put each one on a plate and let it sit in the refrigerator a few hours. Meanwhile, add all the ingredients for the icing into a large saucepan. Don't worry about chopping the dates, they melt. Heat on medium low until icing thickens up a bit and dates are almost all broken down. Mixture will be sticky and pretty thick. Do this about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let this sit in pan to cool. It will continue to thicken while it sits. Add icing to the middle of cake for the layers to stick. Ice the top and sides, then place in the fridge to firm up completely, Serve cold or at room temperature for cutting. Enjoy!