Irish Whiskey Cake

I had a request to make something for one of my customers for a few St Patrick Day's parties they would be going to this weekend so after we agreed on Irish Soda Bread , I researched online for another idea...and that's when I came across an Irish Whiskey Cake.

I checked out a few different recipes and decided on one called Grandmother Monahan's. It is the same as a few others I found so I'm guessing someone just wanted to make it more Irish with that name, but call it after whomever you wish, this is one delicious and boozy cake!

I used the real thing, Jameson's Irish Whiskey, which is available at every liquor store in these parts.

One step you'll need to do the day before is to soak the raisins in the Irish Whiskey with the lemon zest so there's a little prep to do. Other than that, this is really a very simple cake to make and your guests will love it. It is a nice dense yet moist cake and the whiskey glaze is definitely gilding the lily!

I made this cake for us first to be sure it was a keeper of a recipe...which it is...and the first step should be to beat the egg whites til stiff. Unlike what I did, I suggest you beat them with a hand held beater in a large bowl to keep the standing mixer bowl free.

Once the batter is mixed together, add in a scoop of the beaten whites and stir by hand to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining beaten whites gently.

Scoop the batter into a parchment lined tube pan and spread the top to even it out.

It gets a nice browned top but only rises about halfway up.
Let it cool about 20 minutes in the pan, then lift out and place on a wire rack and poke holes into the top and brush with..what else..more whiskey!  After it cools completely, then drizzle on the glaze.

Irish Whiskey Cake ( adapted from allrecipes)

Cake:
1 1/2 cups golden and  dark raisins combined (the original recipe calls for 2 cups but I think this is too much)
3 tbsp. lemon zest
1/4 to 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
12 tbsp. (6 ozs.) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar (I used light brown)
3 eggs, separated, room temp.
1 1/2 cups (6.8 ozs.) AP flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking powder
Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Juice of one lemon
Enough whiskey and a little warm water to make the correct consistency.
*Note: This is the original recipe amount for the ingredients for the glaze but I halved the amounts above and it made plenty of glaze.
Cake:
The day before: Place the raisins and lemon zest in a shallow bowl and pour the 1/4 to 1/2 cup of whiskey ( depending on how strong you want it) over the raisins and zest and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight.
The next day:
1.  Preheat oven to 350. Line a tube pan with parchment paper by cutting a square piece large enough to fit down into the tube pan, cutting out a circle for the center of the pan. Press the folds as best you can to make the parchment stay in place.
2. Beat the egg whites til stiff. Set aside a minute.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy.
4. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, cloves and baking powder.
5. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork or whisk.
6. Gradually add the egg yolks to the butter mixture, alternating with the flour and raisin/whiskey mixture.
    Mix well but don't overmix.
7. Add a few scoops of the beaten egg whites to the batter to lighten it up a little, then fold in the remaining beaten whites gently.
8. Scoop the batter into the pan and using an offset spatula, even the top.
9. Bake til cake is nicely browned on top and a tester comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake in the pan about 20 minutes, then lift out and place on a rack. Poke holes in the top with a toothpick and brush a little more whiskey over the top.
Cool completely before drizzling on the glaze.
*To store:I found this cake kept well for several days in a covered tin.
To make the glaze:  
Combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, then add the whiskey and warm water, a little at a time til you get a nice smooth glaze consistency. Enjoy!