Liqueur Cakes
Cakes
8 eggs
2 2/3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean OR 1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature
Syrup
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/8 cup water 1 3/4 C liqueur of choice (see below)
Optional Liqueurs & Toppings
1/3 cup toasted almonds (for Amaretto cake)
2 T grated orange zest (for Grand Marnier Cake)
1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (for Frangelico cake)
rum and brandy while not really liqueurs, also work well in these
cakes
These cakes make wonderful gifts or are great to serve to guests in
your own home. You can store them up to two weeks in a cool place.
They also freeze exceedingly well, which is a good excuse to make
extra so you can have them anytime.
Makes 4 Loaves (8 in. X 3 3/4 in.)
Preheat oven to 350� F. Grease and flour 4 loaf pans.
Split open vanilla bean and scrape seeds into cream. Drop pod into
cream
and heat until scalding. Let cool.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt until well blended.
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Whisk the sifted dry
ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture just until blended. Remove
(and discard) the vanilla bean pod from the cream, and whisk cream
into the batter. Gently mix in the melted butter, pour batter into
the prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden
brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
While cake is baking, prepare syrup by combining sugar, water and
corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Stir mixture over medium-high heat
until it comes to a simmer. Continue to heat (WITHOUT FURTHER
STIRRING or your finished product will have sugar crystals!) until
mixture comes to a full boil. Cover (also important to avoid those
nasty sugar crystals) and continue to boil until all sugar is
dissolved and liquid is clear, about a minute. Remove from heat and
let cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in liqueur.
After removing cakes from the oven, allow them to cool in pan for
about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn
cakes out, then immediately return cakes to pans. Use a thin wooden
skewer to poke numerous holes into the cake, about 1 inch apart. The
holes should go all the way from the top to the bottom of the cake.
Pour 1/4 syrup mixture over each cake and, if desired, sprinkle with
optional toppings. Let cool until the cakes have absorbed the syrup.
Remove from pans.
Note: If giving these cakes as gifts, use disposable aluminum foil
loaf pans and give the cake in the pan. |