Real Authentic Bourbon Cake and other stuff

Bourbon:Corn spirits were made as early as 1746, and a distillery was established in Bourbon County in 1783. Elijah Craig is often credited with development of the distinctive taste of bourbon. Craig, a Baptist minister [now there's a surprise - huh?] from Royal Springs, Virginia (now named Georgetown, Kentucky) began making his spirits in 1789. It was Dr James C. Crow, a physician and chemist, who introduced the scientific methodology and quality control to Kentucky whiskey making in the 1820s [as a result, people stopped becoming so brain damaged, blind and - well, dead - except in southern Missouri, where becoming dumber and blind still apparently occurs on a regular basis - its an inside joke]. He also introduced the sour-mash distilling process. At first it was called "corn whiskey", but by the middle of the 19th century it was so associated with Bourbon County, Kentucky, that it was called "bourbon", or "Kentucky bourbon". There are currently thirteen distilleries in Kentucky, making nearly 80% of the world's supply of bourbon, with the remaining produced in Tennessee [acceptable], Virginia [a little snooty], and Missouri [see note above].So, if you're interested, get a couple of big bowls and a pound each of white raisins and chopped pecans. Fill each bowl with one or the other and then pour in bourbon till it covers the surface of the nuts and raisins. Cheap bourbon is okay at this stage. Don't use your "good stuff."

Bourbon lesson:

"Good stuff: means Knob Creek, Bulleit Bourbon, Jim Beam Black, Labrot and Graham's Woodford Reserve, Bookers, Evan Williams, Old Grand Dad 100 proof and Makers Mark. If you have something you think is as good or better, please tell me about it immediately. Bourbon is a learning process.

Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and let 'em sit for a few days. This year I got busy. Mine went for two weeks and all the bourbon was soaked up when I got back to the bowls. Now those are SOME raisins!!! Then, a few days later, is the fun part.Take two sticks of butter (that's a cup - read the paper wrapper). If you are horrified by the idea of using butter, stop reading now, it ain't gonna get any better further on. Let it sit out at room temperature till its soft - but not runny. Mix together 2 cups of white granulated sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar. See, its dietetic. Then, mix into the sugar 1/2 tsp (I pronounce it "tisp" - its a measurement thingy that looks like a cross between an ice cream scoop and a tiny thimble) of salt, and a tbsp ("tibispip") each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and a 1/4 tsp of mace - not the cop kind, the brown spice kind. I know its a teaspoon (tsp) and a tablespoon (tbsp), but I started drinking Bourbon when I started writing this down and I'm just havin' fun now . . . so screw off.Sift a cup of flour into a clean, dry bowl. Strain the raisins and dump 'em in, stirring until the raisins are coated in flour. Repeat this process for the pecans. Now use your hand mixer to cream the butter and then mix it into the dry sugar spice mix till thoroughly dispersed. Now add 2 cups of Bourbon (its okay to use better Bourbon this time) Stir that all up adding 1 cup at a time. Slightly beat 5 eggs in a separate bowl and then blend that into your batter mixture. Then sift 3 more cups of flour (sift - don't cheat, it makes a difference) and add it to the sugar, spice, butter, Bourbon and egg mix. Use your hand mixer again to thoroughly mix all the ingredients, but don't beat them too long 15-20 seconds is good. Now pour in the nuts and raisins and use a spatula to thoroughly mix them all up in the liquid batter.The mixture will now be redolent of Bourbon.

The English lesson:


red·o·lent:Pronunciation: \-l??nt\ Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin redolent-, redolens, present participle of redoleere to emit a scent, from re-, red- + oleere to smell - exuding fragrance : aromatic 2 a: full of a specified fragrance : scented b: evocative , suggestive (Have I ever let you down??????)All is well children, that aromatic quality of your batter is as it should be. Stop licking to spatula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Science lesson.Does alcohol cook out?Whether alcohol remains in a finished dish, and how much, depends on the cooking method. When foods are cooked under high heat for a long period of time, such as soups and stews, the majority of the alcohol evaporates out.Pure alcohol boils at 173 degrees F., a lower temperature than water (212 degrees F.). Thus, you will find that recipes intending for some of the alcohol to remain will have instructions to add the alcohol near the end of the cooking process so it will not boil out. Obviously, uncooked recipes will retain the vast majority of the alcohol.Some [not me - but some] may be worried about serving a dish cooked with alcohol to a child, yet alcohol is a naturally-occurring substance in many foods, particularly fruits with a high sugar content such as very ripe apples. Keep in mind that the amount used in a recipe is usually very minimal and is spread out over a large volume of food, comparatively-speaking. It is a personal decision, of course. Still, it is a good idea for those on anti-abuse medication for alcohol problems to avoid foods cooked with alcohol.**

**Inevitable liability disclaimer. In Kentucky, its referred to as, "I dun tol' you, you ijit!"

Pour your batter into whatever kind of baking pan you intend to use. I used small mini loaf pans, but you can use bundt cake, tube pans, etc. Whatever trips your trigger. Make sure you use some form of coating on the inside surface of your pan so the cake releases when done. I use "Baker's Joy" in a spray can. Set the oven at 275 and plan on baking for at least 1.5 hours, give or take. Keep an eye on it, it will raise slightly due to the baking powder and you want to be able to insert a clean dry knife into the middle top to bottom and have it come out clean.


You may now lick the spatula until the room starts to spin.When its done, (baking - we're far from done at this stage) take it out and let it cool on a cooling rack, out of the pan.Now take cheesecloth, rinse it in warm water and gently wring it out. Let it soak in some Bourbon (you know, you can actually pour a couple of fingers of this stuff over ice and just sip it while you're messing around with the darn cake . . . - I'm just sayin') and then, once the cake is cool to the touch, wrap it in the soaked cheesecloth, then wrap that in at least a couple of tight layers of aluminum foil. Put it in the back of the fridge and forget about it until you're ready to serve it, at least two - three weeks later. It needs to "cure." Longer is better.Some die hards sprinkle it with fresh Bourbon once each week. You can, personally I don't think you need to reopen it until you're ready to serve it.I once forgot such a cake for over a year during which time it got moved to the freezer. I then found it and took it to Christmas at my in-laws. My father-in-law, a late night grazer, found it thawed sitting in the fridge. A renowned hater of fruit cake, but being desperate for a snack, he cut a piece to sample with coffee. 3 minutes later, he was standing over me in the guest bedroom, genty shaking my shoulder. "What is this?", he asked softly, holding up a half-eaten slice of Bourbon cake. "Bourbon cake, Duane, I made it a year ago." "Don't lose that recipe, boy, this is damn good cake, just damned good!" By morning the entire cake was gone.Duane loved Bourbon cake, and you will too. This is the exact recipe I first used some 25 years ago and its just as yummy today as it was then. Duane is gone now, but I know he would approve.