I think I’ve hit on a winning combination in this Rich Ginger and Bourbon Butter Cake recipe!
One of the first things I always do when I return from travelling is to head into my kitchen and bake. It’s not really a conscious decision on my part and maybe the urge simply stems from a greedy food bloggers desire for cake, but regardless, within a few days of unpacking and finishing the washing I begin pondering the possibilities of the pantry – conjuring up various flavour combinations in my head and wondering how they might taste.
I’m not a fancy baker and am far too lazy to spend hours fiddling with layers or tricky decorations – I absolutely love admiring and eating those creations, but generally only when someone else has created them. Perhaps all it comes down to is the comfort of being home and the pleasure of having something delicious with a decent cup of tea (you’ve no idea how hard a proper cup of tea is to come by when travelling), but a perfect homemade cake with a rich, sweet buttercream frosting always makes me happy.
Antoine Vollon (1833-1900) ‘A Mound of Butter’
Speaking of butter, I came across this gorgeous painting the other day. I love it because – well, just because of the butter really. I’m obviously very susceptible to suggestion because it sent me straight to the kitchen. I had the butter out softening in no time!
I’ve been fiddling about with this Rich Ginger and Bourbon Butter Cake recipe since I arrived home last week. I wanted to play some more with adding bourbon to my baking – if only to use up the bottle I bought for my last experiment – and had a packet of crystallised ginger I was keen to use up. I love ginger and I think it pairs brilliantly with bourbon in this cake. My first effort with this bake got the flavours just right, but was a little dry. I had another go and think I’ve nailed it this time. I really can’t taste the bourbon in the cake, but have added it to the frosting so I get that lovely glow from the booze (of course that is optional). Try it and let me know what you think!
Rich Ginger and Bourbon Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 150 gms softened butter
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 65 gms chopped crystalied ginger
- 2 cups sr flour
- pinch salt
- Frosting
- 2 cups sifted icing sugar
- 2 Tbsp soft butter
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Grease and line a round 24cm cake pan.
- Place butter and sugar into mixing bowl and cream on high speed with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and bourbon.
- Sift flour and salt together. (Or combine them in a large bowl and whisk for 20 seconds with a balloon whisk.)
- With mixer at low speed add flour and buttermilk slowly, alternating between the two. Combine well.
- Stir the ginger through.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes.
- Test by piercing the centre of the cake with a skewer. Cake is cooked if skewer comes out dry.
- Frosting
- Combine all ingredients with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Frost cake when it is cool.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Bourbon & ginger! Back in my happy place with this great flavour combo in a #cake. #baking https://t.co/QeaSEmVGnZ pic.twitter.com/kUP3W8kXX9
— Amanda (@lambsearshoney) October 22, 2015
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Like you, I too head to the kitchen and bake when we are back home after travelling. What a gorgeous painting… and the cake… yum! I have so much crystallised ginger in my larder… this one is going on my list xx
Yum, this cake looks so delicious, especially the icing. I’m baking a Banana Cake this weekend, really looking forward to it now after reading your post!
After being away, I always look forward to heading back into the kitchen. I love your cake and I think the ginger and bourbon are lovely flavours. I’d love a piece of this and I like how there’s also bourbon in the icing. Just so you know…you have ‘crystalised sugar’ written as one of the ingredients!
oh yum! Must give that a go. I’m getting back into the swing of baking these days.
I’m the same Amanda. I miss being in the kitchen cooking and it find it soothing so I enjoy it. This cake looks amazingly good! 😀
I go to the kitchen after traveling because that’s my safe spot. I just feel comfortable and comforted there with all my utensils and ingredients waiting for me to call on them to build something good. I think this is a winner of a cake. …and welcome home!
Sounds like a consensus! Baking as the perfect way to settle back into home 🙂 And ginger and bourbon sounds like a wonderful combination!
I actually have some bourbon leftover from a party yonks ago, I dont enjoy drinking it, but perhaps paired with ginger, it’d be a cracker! That painting is really interesting, kinda beautiful!
Anything with ginger in it has my seal of approval. The butter only adds to the approval rating.
I love ginger cakes and the addition sounds just like my cuppa, er, whisky.
The cake and the painting looks so marvelous! I’m glad you’ve found a wonderful combination of flavors for your cake. Absolutely YUM!