Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake
The sweet, smoky flavor of bourbon with gentle vanilla notes and a touch of toasty spice make it a natural companion to tart and tangy apples, toasted pecans, and warm spices. We love Bramley apples, but any tart baking apple works well for this recipe. This cake lasts for days and would freeze beautifully if for some reason you didn’t want have it lingering around. The booziness tends to dissipate over time which may or may not prompt you to eat it as quickly as possible. And it's the perfect thing to pair with your morning coffee or tea.
INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 325ºF.
Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and 2 of the 2 1/4 sticks butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
While butter and sugar are mixing, put approximately 2/3 of the apple pieces in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Chop the remaining apple pieces into 1/2 inch dice and set the apples aside.
Once butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, vanilla and 3 tablespoons bourbon. With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the wet mixture approximately 1/3 at a time, alternating between the two. Fold in apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Set cake, in its pan, on a rack to cool.
While the cake cools, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup bourbon and remaining 1/4 stick butter in small saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and liquid is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
With a paring knife, make 12 slits in the bottom of the cake going about ¾ of the way down. Pour ¾ of the bourbon mixture on the bottom of the still-warm cake.
Cool in the pan 20 minutes longer, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake. Invert cake onto a wire rack and brush remaining bourbon mixture onto top and sides with a pastry brush. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
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