Rum Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is is an adapted version of the Kentucky Bourbon cake that I’ve posted before. At Christmas dinner I asked family members which layer they preferred and it was a toss up between the vanilla chai and the plain buttermilk layer. The vanilla chai is my favourite, but they’re all really good. If you make it sometime, please let me know which one you prefer.

The top layer is chocolate. The middle layer is plain buttermilk. The bottom layer is the vanilla chai. To make the chocolate layer, add 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder to one third of the batter. To make the vanilla chai layer, steep two chai tea bags in 1/3 cup hot water for a minute. When the tea cools, add the tea to one third of the batter. Add the seeds from one vanilla bean and one tablespoon of sifted cocoa powder as well. The last layer is the basic recipe.

The proportions are different from the original post because the cake is larger. I used nine inch round cake pans for each layer. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

2 light cream cheese packages (8 oz. each)

2 cups sifted icing sugar

2 tbsp vanilla

4 tbsp dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook the cakes for 40 – 45 minutes. Cool the cakes before icing.

Happy holidays!

Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake

Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake
Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cake

This cake is as delicious as it sounds. It’s one of my all time favourites. It’s a pound cake. There’s nearly a pound of butter in it, but please don’t stop reading. A thin slice of this cake is worth the calorie splurge. It’s that good.

It’s really easy to make. You can’t mess it up. The last time I made it, I forgot to add the buttermilk and I didn’t realise it until I had already added the dry ingredients. I cursed a little when I realized what I had done, but eventually pulled pulled myself together, added the buttermilk to the batter, got it into the oven and hoped for the best. It still turned out perfectly. I brought it in to work for a Christmas luncheon and everybody loved it. Some even asked for seconds. Trust me. This one is a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Butter Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup hot water

2 tbsp bourbon (Dark rum is a good substitute if you don’t have bourbon)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease your pan. Cream (1 cup) butter, add (1 3/4 cups) sugar gradually. Cream until light and fluffy. Add (4) eggs one at a time and then the buttermilk. Beat well.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat at low speed until mostly incorporated and then at medium speed.  Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.

Prick the surface of what will be the bottom of the cake with a toothpick while it’s still warm. You want to have lots of little holes for the sauce to fall into. Space the holes about an inch apart.

To make the sauce, heat (3/4 cup) sugar, (1/2 cup) butter, (1/4 cup) hot water. When it’s all nicely incorporated, take the pan off the heat. Add (2 tbsp) bourbon and give it a quick stir. (We used 4 tbsp of bourbon instead of 2, but you do what tastes good to you). Pour the warm butter sauce over the warm cake. You need to do this while the cake is relatively warm because it’s a dense cake and if you wait until it’s cool, the sauce won’t be able to penetrate into the cake very well. You want to have that beautiful bourbon flavour throughout the whole cake, not just on the bottom.

Cool the cake for an hour before removing it from the pan onto your serving plate. Release the cake from the edges of the pan with a toothpick before inverting it. It’s worth taking a minute to do this before flipping the cake so that it comes out in one piece. Sprinkle some icing sugar on top to give it a snowy finish. Happy holidays!

Serves many.

Enjoy! 😉

Shortbread Mini Bites

Shortbread Mini Bites

Christmas is just around the corner and these little shortbread cookies are sure to make everyone smile. They’re super cute. They also make great gifts. Put a bunch of them in a mug and wrap them in cellophane. Just about everyone I know loves shortbread cookies. These ones have next to no calories because they are so small. 😉

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soft salted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/4 cup corn starch

3 tsp sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter, sugar and the extract in a bowl. If your butter is soft, you can do this with a wooden spoon. You won’t need to dirty your mixer. Add in the flour and corn starch and mix well. Add your sprinkles last and then shape the dough into a ball.

Put some parchment paper or plastic wrap on a cutting board and then put your dough on top of it. Flatten dough until it’s about half an inch high. Put your dough in the fridge for a few minutes so that it will be easier to cut later. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares. Make all the cuts in one direction first and then in the other direction. Move the cookies onto a cookie sheet. Be sure to leave a little space between them. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies should be light brown.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Stout Cake

Chocolate Stout Cake
Chocolate Stout Cake

This cake recipe is rich, moist and decadent. My niece passed this recipe on to me and I have her blessing to share it with all of you. As the title suggests, the cake is made with stout beer. We used a stout beer from R and B Brewing called Dark Star; it’s delicious. The recipe only calls for a cup of beer so feel free to enjoy the rest of it while the cake is in the oven. 😉

Ingredients:

1 cup stout beer

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

7 tbsp heavy cream

Bring the stout beer and butter to a slow simmer. Add the cocoa powder to the liquid and whisk until smooth. Allow mixture to cool a little. In another bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream. Add the stout mixture to the egg mixture and blend. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Butter your cake pan thoroughly before adding your batter to the pan.

Cook for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees. The cooking time will depend on the size of your cake pan and your oven. Stick a toothpick in it and if it comes out clean, your cake is ready. Allow the cake to cool for 15 to 20 minutes and then flip it onto a plate. Allow the cake to cool for at least an hour before icing it.

To make the chocolate ganache, melt your chocolate and cream in a double boiler. Stir until smooth and drizzle onto your cake.

Enjoy!