Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 10 g shortening, solid
- 475 g cake flour, unsifted
- 5 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
- 227 g unsalted butter, softened
- 160 g granulated sugar
- 5 egg
- 7½ ml vanilla extract
- 10 g confectioners' sugar
Whisky Syrup
- 120 g butter
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml whiskey
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 573 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 64 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 27 g
- Sodium
- 286 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 168 mg
- Potassium
- 95 mg
- Calcium
- 59 mg
- Iron
- 2.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 14 mg
- Phosphorus
- 120 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 277 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.39 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.37 mg
- Niacin
- 2.8 mg
- Folate
- 100 mcg
- Water
- 31 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) with the rack positioned in the center.
Coat the interior of a 9-inch tube pan with shortening and dust with flour, removing any excess.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
Cream the softened butter in a large bowl until the texture is smooth and aerated.
Gradually beat the granulated sugar into the butter until the mixture is light and creamy.
Incorporate the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully blended before adding the next.
Stir the vanilla extract into the butter mixture.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture by hand or on low speed until just combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake at 160°C (325°F) for 75 minutes.
While the cake bakes, melt the syrup butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the whiskey.
Place the hot cake on a wire rack and prick the surface repeatedly with a skewer.
Slowly pour the warm whiskey syrup over the hot cake, allowing it to absorb completely.
Allow the cake to cool entirely in the pan before inverting onto a plate and dusting with confectioners' sugar.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling during the creaming process.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dry or crumbly
Cause: Overbaking or overmixing the flour
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but extra syrup may help moisture.
Prevention: Check for doneness 5-10 minutes early and fold flour only until just combined.
Syrup pools on top and doesn't soak in
Cause: The cake has cooled too much or holes are not deep enough
Fix: Prick deeper holes and slightly warm the syrup before pouring.
Prevention: Pour syrup immediately after the cake leaves the oven while it is still hot.
Cultural Context
Whisky cakes are a traditional holiday staple in American baking, often served during Christmas or Thanksgiving for their long shelf life and warming flavors.
