From: Sheryl Hickle of Brandon, Sue Croneberger of Hudson and Paige Clark of Gloucester, Mass.
Ernestine Loving has been making whiskey cakes for about 30 years. She usually makes them in October so there is plenty of time for the flavors to develop, but mid November will work, too.
Marilyn Gilbert shares the late James Beard's whiskey cake recipe. He noted that "this cake is moist and rich and keeps well. Wonderful for the holiday season."
Terry St. Onge sends a whiskey cake recipe from a Deerfield, Mass., women's club cook book. This is one of those wonderful ways to use packaged cake mixes.
Tird of whiskey cakes? How about trying some peanut butter temptations?
For: Patricia Baksa of Dunedin.
From: Ernestine Loving of New Port Richey.
Recipe: Kentucky Whiskey Cake.
Kentucky Whiskey Cake
1 pound red candied cherries, cut in half
1/2 pound golden raisins, halved, or 1/2 pound chopped dates, or 1/4 pound of each
1 pint Kentucky bourbon (do not use a blend)
3/4 (3 sticks) pound butter or margarine
1 pound white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
6 eggs, separated
5 scant cups all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pound pecan meats
Soak cherries and raisins and/or dates in bourbon to cover overnight.
Cream butter/margarine and sugars until fluffy; add egg yolks and beat well.
Combine flour with nutmeg and baking powder. Add soaked fruit and remaining bourbon along with the flour mixture to the creamed mixture (reserve a small amount of flour to mix with the nuts).
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Add floured pecans last.
Bake in a large, greased tube pan that has been lined with greased paper (Ernestine uses a brown paper bag) for 3 to 4 hours in a slow oven (250 to 275 degrees). Watch baking time.
To store: When thoroughly cool, place in a tightly covered container. Stuff center hole with cheesecloth which has been soaked in bourbon whiskey. Wrap in heavy waxed paper. It is not necessary to soak cake in whiskey: The cake will be moist and flavorful.
From: Marilyn Gilbert of New Port Richey.
Recipe: James Beard's Whiskey Cake.
James Beard's Whiskey Cake
1 pound shelled walnuts
1/2 pound seeded raisins
11/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 (1 stick) cup butter
11/8 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
2/3 cup bourbon whiskey
1/2 cup additional bourbon, if desired
Remove butter from refrigerator ahead of time to let it soften. Grease a large loaf pan or two 1-pound coffee tins. Line with brown paper; butter the paper.
Chop the nuts coarsely and cut the raisins in half. Sift the flour, and measure 11/2 cups. Mix 1/2 cup of the flour with the nuts and raisins. Sift the rest of the flour again with the baking powder and salt.
Cream the butter and sugar together and add the 3 egg yolks, one at a time, to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix the nutmeg and whiskey together and add this liquid bit by bit, alternating with additions of the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Add the nuts and raisins; finally beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold them into the batter.
Pour into the loaf pan or tins and let stand for few minutes to settle. Bake at 325 degrees for 11/4 hours. Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand in the pan or tins for 1 hour before taking it out. Beard liked to pour an extra 1/2 cup of whiskey over the cake when it is almost cool.
From: Terry St. Onge.
Recipe: Whiskey Cake, from a Deerfield, Mass., women's club cookbook.
Whiskey Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup whiskey
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate bits
Mix first seven ingredients with an electric mixer on high for 5 minutes. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done.
For: Helen Beisacher of Tarpon Springs.
From: Leona Horne of Largo, Suzy Rosenblum of Odessa and Dee Zihar of Palm Harbor.
Cream butter, peanut butter and both sugars together. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Blend into creamed mixture to make a dough.
Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into 1-inch balls and drop into miniature muffin tins which have been lined with miniature paper cups. Do not flatten.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Immediately after removing from oven, set a peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie and slightly press down so that the top is even with the top of cookie. Remove from pan when cooled. Makes 40.
Recipe: Loving Cups, from Better Homes and Gardens, 1997.
Divide the dough into 1/2-inch slices. Then divide each of these slices in half and roll each piece into a ball.
Place one ball in each muffin cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies puff up.
Press an unwrapped peanut butter cup into the center of each. Return the cookies to the oven for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then finish cooling on a wire rack. Makes 3 dozen.
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