O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey Cake Recipe

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Hello Daring Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This Irish Whiskey Cake Recipe delivers an irresistibly scrumptious dessert that includes candy raisins, refreshing lemon zest, delicate and moist cake… Better of all? Infused with worldwide beloved boozy Irish Whiskey that’s from my hometown Wexford! It’s a should for celebrating the legendary lifetime of St. Patrick and Irish tradition, and one of the best ways for displaying my household satisfaction!

Historical past Of The O’Driscoll Household

I’m proud to say that O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey is a household enterprise. It’s based by my cousin, Michael J Stafford the managing director of Stafford Bonded in my dwelling city of Wexford, Eire. Michael carried on the household enterprise created by our grandfather (James Stafford) and likewise our fathers (George Stafford Snr and Michael Stafford Snr). Michael has chronicled the historical past of the Stafford household in Wexford fantastically on the Stafford Bonded web site . O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey is impressed by Diarmuid O’Driscoll, Michael’s different Grandfather. A pillar within the household, an inspiration and a fantastic story teller. You’ll be able to meet Diarmuid right here.

The O’Driscolls had been a household of pirates and smugglers identified to construct castles, harbors, and ships. By the fifteenth century, they had been one of many notoriously strongest clans in Eire. Their territories and wealth exceeded the peculiar with possession of many various castles within the Baltimore space of Cork and surrounding islands.

Whereas land properties made up a substantial portion of their energy, it was the wild Atlantic Ocean that was their actual area – and only some dared to enter the O’Driscolls’ waters with out an invite. So notorious had been the O’Driscolls that in 1450, Henry VI decreed that nobody from Waterford and Wexford may fish on this household’s territory or else they’d be met with heavy penalties or forfeiture.

The O’Driscoll household’s luck ran till the seventeenth century once they had been pressured to give up to the English Crown. Although they could have surrendered, the O’Driscolls stay a drive in County Cork to this present day with certainly one of their influences on a number one model of whiskey in Eire.

Desk of Contents

What’s Irish Whiskey Cake?

Irish Whiskey cake is a historic bake that has withstood the take a look at of time. The earliest writing about it extends way back to the 1700s, within the period when alcohol considerably helped bakers protect baked items in addition to enhancing flavors. As European colonists migrated to the Americas, whiskey cake quickly discovered its means throughout the Atlantic Ocean and proved to be successful.

Irish Whiskey Cake Recipe Components

Raisins: After soaking in Whiskey with lemon zest, raisins will plump up so as to add moisture, sweetness, and booze from Whiskey to the cake!
Lemon zest: Recent lemon zest is an incredible stability of the richness of this cake.
Irish Whiskey: I used O’Driscolls Irish whiskey–a easy and creamy texture with vanilla and caramel flavors, it’s the right addition to boost your cake. Be happy to make use of different liquor or liqueurs in case you choose.
Butter: I at all times use salted butter in baking except specified in any other case. You need to use unsalted right here if desired. At room temperature: if you push the butter and it makes an indent, however your finger doesn’t simply squish proper by means of.
Darkish brown sugar: Darkish Brown Sugar doesn’t solely sweeten and bind substances, but in addition provides moisture, a caramel and molassesy taste and depth to baked items. Make it at dwelling if it’s not simply accessible!
Eggs: Giant eggs. Eggs add richness and incorporate air into the batter to assist the cake rise. Ensure that eggs are at room temperature (round 76°F/24°C).
All-purpose flour:All-purpose flour (plain flour) has the right quantity of gluten to assist the construction holding mix-ins however nonetheless yields a lightweight and fluffy texture. Use gluten-free all-purpose mix flour if wanted!
Baking powder: An necessary leavener to make the cake rise correctly.
Floor cloves: A small quantity goes a great distance! Floor cloves add heat to the cake.
Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all the opposite flavors.

How To Make Irish Whiskey Cake:

Put together raisin combination: in a small saucepan on the stovetop, cowl and heat the combination of raisins, lemon zest and O’Driscoll’s Irish Whiskey over medium warmth till sizzling, about 2 minutes. As soon as steaming, put aside to soak (coated tightly) for a minimal 1 hour (or as much as in a single day).
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter then line an 8×8-inch (20x20cm) cake pan with parchment paper and put aside.
Make butter combination: within the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-high till pale and fluffy. Add within the eggs separately and proceed beating to totally mix and aerate the eggs. scraping down the edges of the bowl a couple of occasions.
Make the dry-ingredient combination by combining the flour, baking powder, salt and cloves.Then regularly stir this dry combination at low pace into the butter combination till principally mixed.
Assemble the batter: stir within the raisin combination and any remaining liquid within the bowl on low till every thing is evenly mixed. (The batter shall be very thick.)
Bake: unfold evenly into the ready pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear.
Cool: within the pan for 10 minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill utterly.
Serve cake slices with butter and a cup of tea. Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 5 days. Or freeze for as much as 2 months for longer storage.

Does the Alcohol Cook dinner off in Irish Whiskey Cake Recipe?

The Whiskey will lower after baking however there’ll nonetheless be alcohol remaining. Nonetheless, you possibly can undoubtedly make alcohol-free variations so that everybody can take pleasure in a slice!

Can You Freeze Irish Whiskey Cake and How?

As soon as the cake cools down utterly, wrap particular person slices tightly with a couple of layers of plastic wrap. Then retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 2 months.

Learn how to Reheat Irish Whiskey Cake?

If frozen, defrost within the fridge in a single day.

MICROWAVE: Place the cake coated with a moist fabric or paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave it at 10-second intervals till heat all through.

BAKE: Place the cake in an oven-safe dish coated with tin foil. Bake it at 300°F/150°C for roughly 10 minutes or till heat all through.

STEAM: Convey water within the steamer to a gentle simmer then rigorously place within the cake. Flip off the warmth and go away the cake within the pot with the lid on for 10 minutes or so, till the cake has softened and is nearly as good as new.

FAQs

Is it Whiskey Spelled Mistaken?

In fact not! Scotch whisky doesn’t have an “e”, however different whiskies, together with Irish are spelled “whiskey”. Enjoyable reality!

Learn how to Make the Irish Whiskey Cake Recipe Alcohol-Free?

You need to use apple juice, orange juice, or different pure fruit juice which additionally tends to ferment to yield comparable booze with alcohol. Be aware that with out alcohol as a preservative, muffins will final for a shorter time.

Gemma’s Professional Chef Ideas

You’ll want to maintain the soaking raisins hermetic or the whiskey will evaporate earlier than it soaks into the raisins.
It’s going to take 3-4 medium lemons or 6-9 small lemons to get 3 tablespoons of zest however don’t skimp on it. It looks as if quite a bit however it’ll give this cake probably the most wonderful taste.
The batter shall be very, very thick – that is to be anticipated.
This cake has a really delicate whiskey taste – for one thing extra pronounced, make a whiskey syrup by combining ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) sugar, 1/3 cup (2 ½ floz/71 ml) whiskey, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons (1 oz/28 g) butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a small pot over medium warmth till the sugar has dissolved. As soon as the cake is baked and nonetheless sizzling, poke holes everywhere in the cake and pour the syrup over the cake whereas it’s nonetheless within the pan. Cowl and go away the cake within the pan to soak up the syrup for a number of hours whereas it cools.