The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets (5 page)

FOR THE CAKE:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup honey

½ cup Jägermeister

¾ cup hot water

FOR THE GLAZE:

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

⅓ cup Jägermeister

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with butter, or spray it with nonstick spray. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then beat in the honey and the Jägermeister. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon just until well combined. Stir in the hot water. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE
,
melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Jagermeister. Brush the top of the cake (while it is still in the pan) with 2 tablespoons of the glaze. Allow the cake to stand for 5 minutes.

Turn the cake out onto a serving plate, brush with the remaining glaze, and allow it to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute another herbal liqueur, such as Bénédictine or Chartreuse, for the Jägermeister.

Honey Bear
Cocktail

2½ ounces milk

1 ounce Jägermeister

1 ounce coffee liqueur, such as Kahlùa

1 ounce honey liqueur, such as Bärenjäger, Krupnik, or Wild Turkey American Honey

Mix all ingredients in a shaker. Serve over ice.

M
AKES
1
DRINK

Champagne Layer Cake

M
AKES
12
SERVINGS

MY EARLIEST EXPERIENCES WITH CHAMPAGNE
involved mixing large quantities of J. Rogét with orange juice in red plastic cups to make “mimosas.” Classy, huh? No wonder I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. I didn’t get a taste of the real thing until much later, when friends celebrating their engagement poured me a flute of Dom Pérignon. What a revelation! Now I would use Champagne instead of milk on my breakfast cereal, if only it wouldn’t garner such strange looks.

This cake is a great way to incorporate more bubbly into your life. Despite the fact that it sounds like the epitome of decadence, it’s actually quite light. Make it for birthdays, for New Year’s Eve, or on a random Saturday afternoon, just because.

FOR THE CAKE:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

⅔ cup Champagne

5 large egg whites

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon milk

3 tablespoons Champagne

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, or spray them with nonstick spray. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Alternately add the flour mixture and the Champagne to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, and beating well after each addition.

In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Whisk a generous spoonful of the beaten egg whites into the Champagne batter to lighten it. Then carefully fold the remaining egg whites into the batter with a spatula.

Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed lightly.

Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans, and then remove them and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

TO MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
,
combine the butter and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in
the milk and Champagne. With the mixer running, gradually add 1 to 2 more cups of confectioners’ sugar until the buttercream is thick and creamy.

Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with half of the buttercream frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread with the remaining frosting.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute Prosecco or cava for the Champagne.

Southern Peach

1 sugar cube

2 dashes Angostura bitters

½ ounce bourbon

½ ounce peach schnapps

Champagne (or other dry sparkling wine)

Maraschino cherry (optional)

Drop the sugar cube into the bottom of a Champagne flute and add the bitters. Allow them to soak for a minute or two; then put in the bourbon and peach schnapps. Top with Champagne and garnish with the cherry.

M
AKES
1
DRINK

Lemon Layer Cake with Campari Frosting

M
AKES
12
SERVINGS

MY FAVORITE MOVIE FROM THE
1980s
is
Big Business.
In it, Bette Midler orders a Campari and soda at the Plaza Hotel and tells the waiter to “make it snappy.” It’s a hilarious scene, and one of the first times Campari—an herbaceous Italian digestif—was mentioned in mainstream American media. Since Campari is very bitter, I’ve mixed it with sweeter limoncello in this bright, citrus cake that is perfect for spring.

FOR THE CAKE:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1¼ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons limoncello

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

FOR THE CAMPARI BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons limoncello

1 tablespoon Campari

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with butter, or spray them with nonstick spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
whisk the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, and beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes 10 minutes in the pans, and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING
,
beat the butter and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk, limoncello, and Campari. Gradually beat in 1 to 2 more cups of confectioners’ sugar until buttercream is thick and creamy.

Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with half of the buttercream. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread with the remaining buttercream.

SHAKE IT UP:
Substitute cherry liqueur, such as kirsch, for the Campari and add a drop or two of red food coloring to the frosting.

Lemon Campari Fizz

2 ounces Campari

1 ounce limoncello

Lemon soda, such as Limonata, or soda water

Lemon wedge, for garnish

Pour the Campari and the limoncello into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with the lemon soda or soda water and garnish with the lemon wedge.

M
AKES
1
DRINK

Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cake

M
AKES
12
TO
16
SERVINGS
OR
24
CUPCAKES

S
AY “SOUTHERN COMFORT” AND MOST PEOPLE
will roll their eyes and groan, “SoCo. I haven’t had that since college.” It’s true that this sugary whiskey is a dorm room staple, along with John Belushi posters and economy-size plastic kegs of pretzels. But SoCo’s often-mocked sweetness lends itself to baking, yielding a subtle hint of whiskey without overpowering the other flavors. What could be more Southern or comforting than incorporating it into red velvet cake?

FOR THE CAKE:

3 cups cake flour

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Southern Comfort

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

FOR THE FROSTING:

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup milk

¼ cup Southern Comfort

Chopped toasted pecans, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

TO MAKE THE CAKE
,
whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, Southern Comfort, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack, and then remove them from the pans and cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING
,
beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, the milk, and the Southern Comfort. Beat on low speed until creamy. Gradually add the remaining confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until the frosting has reached the desired consistency.

Place one cake layer on a plate and spread it with about one-third of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the cake with chopped pecans, if using.

SHAKE IT UP:
For a bolder flavor, substitute Tennessee whiskey, such as Jack Daniels, for the Southern Comfort.