Kentucky Christmas Cakes Recipe

How to make it

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• Start the night before baking, soak the raisins and cherries in the
• bourbon overnight.
• In the morning, cut the cherries into quarters (by now all the sticky syrup has dissolved into the bourbon).
• Prepare the pan(s) either by greasing, lining with waxed
• paper, and greasing the waxed paper OR by brushing with quick-release goop from Laurel's Kitchen; 1/2 cup liquid lecithin mixed with 1 cup vegetable oil (store any leftover in the refrigerator).
• Prepare your pan even if it's "nonstick."
• Preheat oven to 300 F.
• For the cake, cream the butter and sugar and add the egg yolks one by one, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix in the soaking liquid from the fruit.
• Shake the pecans with the small amount of flour, discard
• any extra flour.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff.
• Combine the dry ingredients, combine with the creamed mixture.
• Fold in whites, fold in nuts just until well-combined.
• You will have a stiff dough quite full of fruit & nuts.
• Using a rubber scraper and spoon, transfer batter evenly into pan(s).
• Bake about 3 hours (this is not a typo), until the cake cracks on top and the bottom of the crack looks dry.
• The cakes will be deep brown.
• Cool completely on a rack.
• Wrap the cooled cake(s) in an old kitchen towel, or if necessary in
• heavy paper towels.
• Soak the wrappings well with more bourbon; put the wrapped and soaked cakes in a plastic zipper bag and refrigerate for at least 6 weeks to mellow.
• (This is why you can get away without fine whiskey)
• To give, wrap in plastic or place in plastic bakery gift bag with
• instructions to keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Then slice cold cake very thinly to show off the pretty cross-section and enjoy.
• Eat responsibly -- this cake has a kick!
• Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.