Irish Whisky Cake

A slice of cake on a white plate. The rest of the cake is seen partially in the background.

This Irish Whisky Cake is a simple, impressive cake that is brushed with a whisky soaking glaze, and then topped with a whiskey frosting. Serve on it's own or with a dollop of whipped cream!

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 10

Servings slices

Calories 566kcal

Author Nina

Equipment

1 Bundt pan

Ingredients

Whisky Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar packed
3 large eggs room temperature
1 cup sour cream room temperature
¼ cup Irish whisky
½ cup whole milk room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup pecans

Whisky Glaze

1 tablespoon Irish whisky
1 tablespoon water

Whisky frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons Irish whisky

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Whisky Cake

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease your Bundt pan really well. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a large bowl until well combined, about 3 minutes.
Beat in eggs, scarping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add sour cream, Irish whisky, milk, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Add in the dry ingredients, and mix until almost combined. Add in pecans, and mix until no dry flour remains.
Fill prepared Bundt pan with batter and smooth the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs.
Remove cake from oven to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool to room temperature. You may need to trim a bit off the bottom of the cake, so it sits flat.

Whisky Glaze

In a small bowl, mix water and Irish whisky together. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze on the top and sides of the cake. Let cake sit for about 15 minutes for the glaze to soak into the cake.

Whisky Frosting

Mix powdered sugar and Irish whisky together. Add 1 tablespoon of whisky at a time until you have a thick, but pourable frosting. If you make it too loose, add more powdered sugar.
Pour frosting on top of the cake, letting it pour down the sides a bit. Let the frosting set before slicing the cake, about 1 hour.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

Instead of pecans, use walnuts!
Make sure to not overmix the batter. Mix until everything is just combined.
If the frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more whisky.
Don't like the taste of whisky? I find the taste is more strong in the frosting. Instead of using whisky with the powdered sugar, use milk instead.

Nutrition