Wow your guests and serve this boozy Irish Whiskey Cake on St. Patrick’s Day. A simple, vanilla and sour cream bundt cake brushed with an Irish whiskey glaze. Slice, drizzle with extra glaze and top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Will serve 12 to 16.
I was on a hunt for an Irish whiskey Cake Recipe.
Something different to make for St. Patrick’s Day that wasn’t the typical Guinness and chocolate combo. Every recipe I found seemed to be the same and calling for instant vanilla jello pudding mix. Obviously I was looking for something more from scratch. Luckily, I stumbled upon this recipe online written in the Denver Post. A whiskey cake recipe that did not call for instant pudding!
Essentially Irish Whiskey Cake is a tangy vanilla bundt cake that’s brushed with a vanilla-orange Irish whiskey glaze. I only modified this it slightly, like swapping in Irish whiskey and using vanilla extract instead of scraping a vanilla bean for the glaze instead. But oh many, if you’re a boozy dessert person, then this is for you!
Slice and serve with whipped cream and a few extra spoonfuls of the Irish whiskey glaze.
To Make This Irish Whiskey Cake You Will Need:
- melted butter
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter (softened)
- dark brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- sour cream
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- chopped walnuts or pecans (or both)
- light brown sugar
- orange juice (fresh squeezed)
- Irish whiskey
Preheat your oven to 325℉ (or 160℃) and brush the inside of a 12-cup bundt pan with some of the melted butter (leaving the remaining in the pan for the glaze). Lightly add a little flour ot the bundt pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, measure and add 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon both baking soda and kosher salt. Whisk to combine and set this off to the side as well.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter.
Mix for 4 minutes on medium to medium-low speed until creamy and pale yellow in color.
To the creamed butter, add 1 cup each granulated sugar and dark brown sugar.
Continue mixing for 2 more minutes. This should be fluffy like.
Next add in the 1/2 cup sour cream.
Mix until combined.
Crack in 3 large eggs, mixing well after each one.
With the last egg, add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Lastly, gradually add in the dry ingredients.
Stop mixing once incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
With the back of the spatula, spread the cake evenly and top with 1 cup chopped nuts. I really liked walnuts in this recipe, but pecans would work well too.
Bake on the middle rack in your preheated 325° oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached.
Once baked, invert the cake onto a wire cooling rack (I set it into a rimmed pan) and allow to cool 1 hour.
Once the cake has cooled, make the glaze by combining 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup Irish whiskey, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla in with the saucepan with the remaining butter from earlier. Heat over medium-low, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Brush generously all over the cake.
That shine tho.
Slice and serve with an extra drizzle of the whisky syrup and a dollop of whipped cream!
Prepare your tastebuds for this incredible boozy cake.
How To Store Bundt Cakes:
Store your bundt cake in an air-tight container. My bunt pan came in one, but I went ahead and linked one from Amazon in the recipe printable. For this cake, it can be stored at room temperature for 5 days. If making a bundt cake that has an icing containing dairy, I would keep it stored in the refrigerator.
How To Freeze Bundt Cakes:
Let cool completely before tightly wrapping in 2 layers of plastic wrap. Then wrap in aluminum foil and freeze. You can also, wrap and freeze individual slices.
How To thaw a bundt cake:
Remove and let thaw on your counter at room temperature.
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Enjoy! And if you give this Irish Whiskey Cake recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Irish Whiskey Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup full fat sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts, or pecans, chopped
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
- 3 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed about 1 large orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325℉ (or 160℃).Brush the inside of a 12-cup bundt pan with some of the melted butter (leaving the remaining in the pan for the glaze). Lightly add a little flour ot the bundt pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, measure and add the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Whisk to combine and set this off to the side as well.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter. Mix for medium-low speed for 4 minutes until creamy and pale yellow in color.
- To the butter add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Continue mixing for 2 more minutes. This should be fluffy like.
- Add in the sour cream. Mix until combined.
- Crack in each egg, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla in with the last egg.
- Lastly, gradually add in the dry ingredients. Stop mixing once incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan. With the back of the spatula, spread the cake evenly and top with the chopped nuts.
- Bake on the middle rack in your preheated 325° oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached.
- Once baked, invert the cake onto a wire cooling rack (I set it into a rimmed pan) and allow to cool 1 hour.
- When the cake has cooled, make the glaze by combining light brown sugar, Irish whiskey, freshly squeezed orange juice, vanilla in with the saucepan with the remaining butter from earlier. Heat over medium-low, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Brush generously all over the cake.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream and an extra drizzle of the whisky syrup.
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THANK YOU in advance for your support!
Hi Alan! The ingredients are listed through the step-by-step instructions (body of the post) and the printable recipe is located at the bottom of the post. Ads are how I make a living and also how you were able to receive the recipe for free. Thanks for stopping by!
Loved it! So did everyone else I gave some to. Great sauce as well.
I don’t know why there is a bad review. The ingredients do list the number of eggs. I used a box of 365 cake mix with this recipe and it came out delicious! Thanks!
Hi Jillian! I think people mistake the ingredients listed under the ingredient photo as the “recipe”. But what can ya do?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Thanks for taking the time to make it and also leave such a great review!
I made this for St. Patrick’s Day this year and took it to work. It was gone in about 10 minutes. Moist and yummy.