Original Kentucky Whiskey Cake

My Mother's Southern Kitchen - James Villas with Martha Pearl Villas
Macmillan

Should be made 1 week in advance

1 pound candied cherries, halved

1/2 pound seedless golden raisins

2 cups bourbon

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

6 large eggs, separated

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 pound chopped pecans

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

In a bowl, combine the cherries, raisins, and bourbon and let soak overnight.
Preheat the oven to 275°F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and two sugars together with an electric mixer till fluffy, then add the egg yolks and beat well. Stir in the soaked fruit and bourbon. In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the flour with the pecans and set aside. Add the remaining flour, nutmeg, and baking powder to the creamed mixture and mix well. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer till stiff peaks form and fold them into the mixture. Add the floured pecans and fold gently.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan and line it with greased brown paper or waxed paper. Pour the batter into the pan, "spank" the bottom to distribute the batter evenly, and bake till a straw inserted into the cake comes out clean, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Cool the cake, turn it out of the pan, peel off the brown paper, and store in a tightly covered container about 1 week before serving.
10 to 12 servings.