(AKA Kentucky Pecan Cake)
This is THE CAKE for people who don't like fruitcake! It will blow you away, both literally and figuratively, Fantastic for Christmas as it makes a very large cake !
2 cups Bourbon or Seagram's 7 Crown
1/2 lb golden raisins
1 lb red candied cherries, halved
3 sticks butter
1 lb granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 lb light brown sugar
2 tsp nutmeg (grated)
1 tsp baking powder
5 cups sifted flour
1 lb pecans, chopped
more bourbon to soak cake
Pour 2 cups bourbon or whiskey over raisins & cherries
Soak in covered container 48 hours
Before mixing in cake, drain well, reserve bourbon
Soften butter at room temperature & cream until light
Add granulated sugar, beat until fluffy
Beat egg yolks until very light, than add brown sugar
Beat well to dissolve sugar
In a very large bowl, combine 2 sugar mixtures & blend well
Mix nutmeg & baking powder with 4-1/2 cups flour
Mix other 1/2 cup flour with nuts
Add flour mixture alternately with bourbon to sugar/butter/egg mixture, mixing well after each addition
Add soaked fruit, fold in
Then the nuts & fold in
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry
Fold into batter until evenly distributed
Pour in greased 10" tube pan lined with greased brown grocery bag
Place pan of water in bottom of oven
Bake 4-5 hrs. at 275°. Watch baking time as ovens vary
Test with toothpick about 2" from outer edge of cake. May take longer than 5 hrs.
Remove from oven
Allow to cool for 15 min. before turning out
When almost cool, sponge sides & inside hole heavily with bourbon-saturated cheesecloth
