Honey-Kissed Irish Whiskey Cake

a slice of irish whisky cake on a white plate.

4.58 from 71 reviews

Honey-Kissed Irish Whiskey Cake

You will taste the whiskey in this cake! It's not just an accent flavor, it's the star of the show. The glaze on this cake is not shy with the liquor, so you get honey-kissed, whiskey flavor in every bite.

Prep Time20

Bake Time40

"Aging" Time1

Total Time1 1

Servings:16 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake Batter

4 large eggs
2 large yolks
1½ oz vegetable oil (¼ cup)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 lemon (zest grated fine)
4 oz honey (⅓ cup)
8 oz buttermilk (1 cup, divided)
11 ¼ oz cake flour (2 ½ cups, see note)
8 oz granulated sugar (1 cup)
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
6 oz unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into 1" chunks)

For the Whiskey Glaze

4 oz unsalted butter
2 oz water (¼ cup)
4 oz sugar (½ cup)
6 oz honey (½ cup)
⅛ teaspoon table salt
4 oz Irish Whiskey (½ cup (I use Jameson, see note))

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Generously butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs, 2 large yolks, 1½ oz vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, finely grated zest from 1 lemon, 4 oz honey and 1/2 of the buttermilk, set aside. Sift 11 ¼ oz cake flour, 8 oz granulated sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon table salt into a mixer bowl. Mix on low speed to combine the dry ingredients.
Toss 6 oz unsalted butter chunks into the flour mixture and add the remaining buttermilk. Mix on medium high for 2-3 minutes to aerate the batter. Scrape the bowl and the beater. With the mixer running, add the egg mix in 3 batches, scraping the bowl between each addition.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
While the cake bakes, make the glaze. Put 4 oz unsalted butter, 2 oz water, 4 oz sugar, 6 oz honey and ⅛ teaspoon table salt in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from heat and stir in 4 oz Irish Whiskey.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven and while it's still in the pan, generously brush the cake with some of the glaze. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes to allow the glaze to absorb and for the cake to set. Turn the cake out onto a clean baking sheet.
Brush the entire top and sides of the cake with glaze, allow the glaze to absorb and repeat brushing until all the glaze is used up. Any glaze that drips onto the pan can be picked up with the brush and brushed back onto the cake.
Allow the cake to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 1 day to allow the flavors to develop.

Notes

If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.

You can use as little as 1/4 cup of whiskey for a lighter flavor, or as much as 3/4 cup for a stronger flavor.

You can serve the cake the day it is baked, but the flavor and texture improve after a day or two of aging. The cake will keep at room temperature for 4-5 days.

Nutrition