Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Only one slice if you're driving

This cake comes from the Hummingbird Bakery's Life is Sweet cookbook. It is pretty straightforward, and very good.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3 cups + 1 Tbsp / 375g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup / 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups / 300g caster or white sugar

1/2 cup / 100g soft or light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

60ml Kentucky bourbon or whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)

225ml / 225g buttermilk, or watery low fat plain yogurt

For the Bourbon Glaze:

6 Tbsp / 85g unsalted butter

3/4 cup / 150g white or caster sugar

60ml Kentucky bourbon or whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)

Instructions:

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 180˚C.

Grease and flour a 10in ring mould or bundt cake pan

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, c. 5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

In a jug, mix together the bourbon and buttermilk with a fork or a whisk.

In three additions, add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Finish mixing in the last addition by hand, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared ring mould/bundt cake pan, and bake until the cake is golden brown on top and bounces back when lightly touched, 40-45 minutes.

A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean or with a few crumbs.

Leave in the mould while you make the glaze.

For the Glaze:

Combine the butter, sugar and bourbon in a medium sized saucepan.

Cook over low heat until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved and whisk vigorously to make a smooth sauce.

For the Finish:

Using a skewer, poke holes all over the top of the cake.

Slowly spoon c.3/4 of the glaze over the cake, letting it soak in.

Allow the cake to set for 30 minutes to absorb the glaze, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.

Brush the remaining glaze over the top of the cake.

Do not allow the cake to sit for longer, or it will stick to the bottom of the mould and not come out.