For me, the festive season, especially Christmas, is about cakes. As a child, we used to wait all year for December, because that’s when you were bombarded with home-baked cakes of all kinds. Plum, fruit, nut, vanilla, you name it and we used to have it. But it wasn’t until much later that I figured that there’s one supreme ingredient that can make all cakes better and it’s alcohol. So, I am here to light up your winter holidays with some insanely good cake recipes, featuring booze:
We have established that gin and tonic is the best thing to happen to humanity, so a cake that’s soaked in the goodness of gin and tonic is can only be awesome-r. Here’s an easy recipe that would blow your mind and knock you out at once.
What you’ll need:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tbsp freshly zested lime rind
- 1/4 cup gin
- 1/4 cup milk
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy
- Add in each egg one at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next. Add in vanilla and lime zest and mix.
- With the mixer on low speed, Add in gin, milk and lime juice, remaining flour and beat until just combined.
- Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish, and bake for 35-40 minutes
- Remove cake and immediately poke holes over top with a toothpick or fork.
- Whip 1.75 cups powdered sugar, 5 tablespoons gin and the juice of 1 lime and pour the glazing over the cake
We love red wine and chocolate, we love chocolate flavoured red wine too. So imagine the awesomeness of gooey chocolate and red wine in one moist, messy, fudgy cake. Don’t just imagine, make one for yourself.
What you’ll need:
Cake
- 85 grams unsalted butter
- 145 grams brown sugar
- 50 grams white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 177 ml red wine, any kind you like
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 150 grams all-purpose flour
- 50 grams Dutch cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Topping
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup (118 grams) chilled heavy or whipping cream
- 25 grams granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160 Celsius)
- In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, egg, red wine and vanilla
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together, right over your wet ingredients
- Mix until 3/4 combined, then fold the rest together with a rubber spatula.
- Spread batter in prepared pan
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and then cool in pan on a rack for about 10 minutes
- Whip mascarpone, cream, sugar, and vanilla together until soft peaks form and dollop generously on each slice of cake
Margarita is a classic cocktail that we all love and it’s only obvious that it makes for a delicious cake. The tangy lemon packs huge flavours and it makes the cake extremely refreshing and tangy.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.75 cups (175 grams) cake flour
- 1 .5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
- 1/2 cup (60 ml) tequila, divided
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) orange liquor, divided (I used Triple Sec)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 Celsius)
- Mix together the sugar and lime zest for several minutes, add butter and beat until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and beat in the vegetable oil and vanilla extract
- Add in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, lime juice, 1/4 cup tequila, and 2 tablespoons orange liquor, and bake for 35-40 minutes
- Stir together the remaining 1/4 cup tequila and 2 tablespoons orange liquor and slowly pour it evenly over the top of the cake, allowing it to absorb as you go
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut whipped cream, powdered sugar, and lime zest and spread the coconut whipped cream evenly over the top and decorate with additional lime slices and zest
White Russian Cake
When you have devoted an entire cake to a cocktail, it has to be something special. White Russian cake is beautiful vanilla chiffon cake blanketed in a wonderful coating of boozy glazing. Name a better combination, I will wait.
What you’ll need:
Vanilla chiffon cake:
- 400 grams cake flour
- 250 grams confectioner’s sugar
- 15 grams baking powder
- 200 ml whole milk
- 170 ml canola oil
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 egg whites
- 250 grams granulated sugar
Glazing:
- 1/2 cup water (optional)
- 2 tsp gelatin (optional)
- 1 quarter heavy whipping cream
- Sugar to taste (about 4 tbsps)
- 1 cup coffee liqueur
- 1/2 cup vodka
Instructions:
- Set oven 375°F(190 Celsius)
- Sift dry ingredients (except granulated sugar) into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients (except the egg whites and granulated sugar) in the large bowl until combined
- Whip whites and granulated sugar to medium peaks. Fold into batter gently. Bake until set for 20 minutes
- Combine the water and gelatin and allow to soften for five minutes. Whip the heavy cream and sugar together on high speed until medium peaks. Add the gelatin, after heating it up for a minute
- Mix the coffee liqueur and vodka together. Pour it over layers of cakes. Crumb coat with icing
This is actually a glass of sangria, with the right amount of kick in the form of a very nutty cake. First of all, sangria is all about fruitiness and the cake embraces this flavour with flawless sponginess.
What you’ll need:
- 100 grams pears, peeled and chopped
- 100 grams peaches or nectarines, stoned and chopped
- 100 grams strawberries, hulled and chopped
- 100 grams cherries, stoned and chopped
- 280 grams golden caster sugar
- 225 grams butter
- 1 orange, zest only
- 150ml red wine
- 225 grams self-raising flour
- 100 grams pack ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 medium eggs
- 50ml orange liqueur
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions:
- Tip the pears, peaches, strawberries and cherries into a bowl and sprinkle over 50g of the sugar. Stir, then set aside for 30 mins to macerate
- Heat oven to 180C. Tip remaining sugar, butter, orange zest and 100ml red wine into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until well blended
- Add the flour, almonds, baking powder and eggs, then beat until smooth. Add half the chopped fruit and 1 tbsp of the liquid and mix gently
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hr – 1 hr 15 mins
- Once the cake is cool enough to handle, heat the remaining red wine and orange liqueur together with the granulated sugar in a pan until melted. Flip the cake over and pile the rest of the fruit on top of the cake with then pour the boozy syrup over
- Decorate with the orange and lemon wedges along with extra strawberries and cherries if you like
