Whiskey Cake

By june

This is a decadent cake with a lot of delicious components: the date cake, a bourbon sauce, toffee sauce, spiced pecans, and whipped cream, all homemade. Try it!

Ingredients

• DATE CAKE:
• 1 8-ounce package dried pitted dates, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 jumbo eggs, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup self-rising flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar in the raw (turbinado sugar)
• BOURBON SAUCE:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 4 jumbo eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons good bourbon
• TOFFEE SAUCE:
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 pound brown sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons good bourbon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• SPICED PECANS:
• 1 pound pecan halves
• 2 teaspoons water
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• WHIPPED CREAM:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

CAKE:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place dates, baking soda and boiling water in a medium sized bowl. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes until the dates are softened. Place the date mixture in a food processor for 2 minutes to form a paste.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and continue to cream for 3 minutes longer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between to fully incorporate each egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running on low, add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, and mix just until the flour is no longer visible.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Add the date paste and gently fold in using a rubber spatula.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar into the baking pan and move the pan around until the sugar coats the bottom and all sides. Pour in the cake batter and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Flip the cake out onto a parchment paper lined tray. Leave at room temperature to cool completely. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to use.

NOTE:
To make self-rising flour, mix together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.

BOURBON SAUCE:
Bring heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla bean to simmer in a small to medium-sized sauce pot.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and other 1/4 cup sugar together until frothy.

While stirring, slowly add about 1/2 of the heavy cream mixture to the eggs. Stir together gently. Pour the egg mixture into the pot of remaining heavy cream. Continue to cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spatula or spoon.

Stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon and remove from heat. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a container. Place the container of bourbon sauce in an ice bath until cool.

Either use the sauce immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to use. If stored in the fridge, before use, reheat in the microwave at 10 second intervals on 50% power until thinned and slightly lukewarm.

TOFFEE SAUCE:
Place butter in a heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add heavy cream and allow to cook for another 6-7 minutes, still stirring occasionally.

Remove pan from heat and stir in bourbon and vanilla. Use sauce immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat before using.

SPICED PECANS:
Heat oven to 350°F. Mix water, syrup, salt and both peppers together in a small bowl. Place pecans in a medium-sized bowl. Pour maple syrup mixture over pecans and mix until all are evenly coated.
Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet covered with foil. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

As soon as the pecans come out of the oven, scrape the pecans off the pan ad break up pecan clumps to prevent from sticking together. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight plastic container at room temperature.

WHIPPED CREAM:
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to the bowl. Beginning at low speed and slowly increasing the speed to high, whip the mixture together until slightly stiff peaks form.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Cut the Date Cake into 12 equal pieces. Poke several holes in the top of each piece using a wooden skewer or chopstick. Arrange the cake pieces on a baking sheet covered with nonstick foil.

Heat the oven to 500°F. Pour 1/4 cup of Toffee Sauce over each piece of Date Cake. Place toffee soaked cake pieces in the oven for 4-5 minutes, until the Toffee Sauce is bubbling and the cake is warmed throughout.
Spoon 1/4 cup of Bourbon Sauce onto 12 individual plates or bowls. Place each piece of warmed cake in the middle of each pool of Bourbon Sauce Finish each piece with a large dollop of Whipped Cream and a sprinkling of Spiced Pecans.