This Old Fashioned Whiskey Cake is bursting with the perfect amount of whiskey flavor. The bundt cake is infused with whiskey, then topped with a whiskey glaze and finished chopped walnuts.
Easy Homemade Whiskey Cake
If you’ve never thought of adding whiskey to a cake before, now’s the time to start considering it. This boozy bundt cake is full of incredible flavor and easy to make! Adding whiskey gives this dessert a caramel-y, vanilla-y flavor with just a hint of almond. A cinnamon mixture is added to the middle of the cake and sprinkled over the top just before baking, which gives the cake a delightful burst of flavor. Once the cake has been baked, a sweet whiskey glaze is poured over the top, then finished with chopped walnuts so that you get an irresistible combination of crunchy nuts and tender cake in every bite.
If you want to check out even more boozy recipes, try me Bourbon Donut Bread Pudding or Chocolate Rum Crinkle Cookies. They’re super tasty!
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What You’ll Need
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this cake. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- Butter- Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe
- All Purpose Flour
- Light brown sugar – You can also use dark brown sugar.
- Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Eggs- Be sure to use eggs that are at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream
- Whiskey
- Heavy Cream
- Walnuts – If you’re not a walnut fan, you can sub your favorite kind of nuts or just leave out the nuts.
How to Make a Whiskey Cake
- Prep your tools. Set the oven to 300 degrees. Use a non-stick baking spray to grease a 9-inch bundt pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add the butter, sugar, and cream into a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and sour cream. One at a time, add in the eggs and mix after each one is added. Add the sour cream and mix to combine.
- Pour in the Whiskey. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the batter.
- Make the cinnamon mixture. Combine all of the cinnamon mixture ingredients into a small bowl.
- Assemble your cake. Add half of the batter into the prepared pan, then add half of the cinnamon mixture on top. Add the rest of the batter and spread evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon mixture on top of the batter.
- Bake. Put the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 70 minutes or until a tester placed in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. When cooled, flip onto a serving plate.
- Make and add the glaze. Let the cake cool a bit longer while you begin making the glaze by combining the glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisking thoroughly. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
- Add walnuts and serve. Sprinkled the chopped walnuts all over the glaze, then dig in!
Why Does the Cake Have to Cool?
You want to give your cake time to cool so that the glaze doesn’t just slide off the sides of the cake. If your cake is hot or even very warm, the glaze won’t stick to the cake or thicken properly. By contrast, if you pour the glaze over a cooled cake you’ll get a nice thick coat that sticks to the cake.
Is This Cake Safe for Kids to Eat?
The cake is safe for children to eat because the alcohol evaporates during the baking process. However, as a parent, you are the one who decides whether you want your children to eat this recipe. If you are a friend or family member of someone who has children, I recommend mentioning that the cake is infused with liquor.
Can I Make This in a Regular Cake Pan Instead?
As written this recipe is meant to be baked in a bundt pan. In order to make it a different size pan, you would need to adjust the ingredients and baking time.
How to Store & Freeze this Cake
Let your cake cool completely, then store it as follows:
- Counter: You can store this cake on the counter loosely wrapped with saran wrap. (If you put it in an airtight container at room temperature the glaze will get sticky.) It will last for 2-3 days.
- Fridge: If you want to extend the life of your cake, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. In the fridge you do want to to be wrapped airtight in order to prevent the cake from drying out. The glaze will not get sticky in the fridge.
- Freezer: I recommend freezing this cake in individual slices. To do that, simply slice up your cake and wrap each slice in saran wrap before placing all the slices in an air-tight, freezer safe container. They will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours when you’re ready to eat a piece of the cake.
More Alcohol-Infused Recipes:
- Baileys Irish Cream Truffles
- Bourbon Pecan Cake
- Apple Pie Bourbon Flavored Popcorn Mix
- Pina Colada Cookies – with Rum Glaze
Old Fashioned Whiskey Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temp
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 1 8 oz sour cream
- 4 Tbsp. Whiskey
Cinnamon Mixture
- 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Glaze:
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- ½ cup whiskey
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Walnuts for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Spray a 9-inch bundt cake pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk until combined.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, mix to combine well after each egg.
- Add in the sour cream and mix until combined.
- Add the Whiskey and mix until combined.
- Gradually begin to add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- In a small bowl add the cinnamon mixture ingredients, stir to combine.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture on top of the batter.
- Pour the rest of the batter on top of the cinnamon brown sugar mixture.
- Smooth this layer evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top of the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 15-20 minutes in the bundt pan.
- After cooling, turn onto a serving plate.
- Allow cooling.
Whiskey glaze.
- In a medium bowl add the powdered sugar, whiskey, vanilla, and cream.
- Mix till combined.
- Pour the glaze over the bundt cake and garnish it with walnuts.
Last Step:
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8 comments on “Old Fashioned Whiskey Cake”
I made this & it was ssssoooooo good.
I have a friend who loved peanut butter, do you think I could add some into this cake & if so, how would I do it?
Love your recipes!!
Thanks Susie. I would try using our peanut butter frosting with a little whisky instead of adding the peanut butter to the cake.
You mention adding “cream” in two separate places, then adding the sour cream in another step, what “cream “ are you referring to earlier in the mixture ?
Jan, “cream” or beat together until light and fluffy.
Can you leave out the cinammin mixture part of this cake?
Yes, you could do that.
The only thing different I would do is when you add the top layer of cinnamon mixture, be sure to swirl it into the batter. Otherwise, after the cake bakes and you tip it out of the bunt pan, a lot of the cinnamon mixture falls off.
This is awesome, It does have a strong whiskey taste so I recommend using a bit less whiskey in the glaze…. Will make again, guests loved it!