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Moist and tender cake with whiskey-soaked raisins and a whiskey caramel glaze!

Whiskey Raisin Cake with Caramel Glaze

Moist and tender cake with whiskey-soaked raisins and a whiskey caramel glaze!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Makes: 8 " cake
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Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 200 gms raisins, about 2 cups
  • 1/2 cup whiskey (or dark rum if you prefer)
  • 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
  • 250 gms butter
  • 1 cup soft brown sugar
  • 2 eggs (see notes)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup thick, plain yoghurt or curd
  • 1 medium orange, cut in half

For the glaze

  • 50 gms butter
  • 3 tbsps soft brown sugar
  • 3 tbsps milk
  • 1 tbsp whiskey (or dark rum if you prefer)
  • 1/4 tsp cornflour/cornstarch

Instructions

  • The night before you plan to make the cake, combine the raisins and whiskey in a large jar and set aside to soak for about 12 hours, shaking it now and again.
  • To make the cake, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Grease an 8" round cake tin and preheat the oven to 180 C.
  • Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer, till light and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
  • Add the yoghurt and the juice of half the orange (save the other half for the glaze). Mix well. The batter might curdle a little at this step, don't worry.
  • Add the flour mixture and beat it in slowly till combined. Fold in the soaked raisins with any whiskey left in the jar.
  • Tip the batter into the prepared tin, smoothen the top and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the cake tin and cover the top loosely with foil to prevent it from becoming too dark. Set aside to cool.
  • To make the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat, then add the sugar and mix till combined.
  • Pour in the milk and let the mixture simmer, then slowly pour in the orange juice (from the half orange leftover from the cake batter). Turn off the heat and add the whiskey. Mix well, and put the pan back on low heat.
  • Mix the cornflour with 2 tsps of water till dissolved and pour it into the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and set aside to cool and thicken.
  • Pour the still slightly warm glaze over the cake. As it cools further, it will thicken and stick to the top. Slice the cake and dive in!
  • The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days (in warm climates) and about 10 days in the fridge. Happy baking!

Notes

*I haven't tried making this cake without eggs but the yoghurt helps to keep it moist and soft, so you could probably use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk in place of the eggs, enough to make a smooth and spreadable batter. The cake is likely to be denser without eggs. Let me know if it works out!
*This cake gets a lot of its flavour from the brown sugar and I really like using Tate&Lyle here.
*Adapted from Sweet