whiskey sour cake

whiskey cake, sour lemon curd, lemon cream for tess

i’ll be honest, this cake took a few rounds of testing

it was originally a pickleback-inspired cake, for a friend’s 30th (hi tess!) with a whiskey cake, lemon dill curd, and dill icing

i made a miniature test cake in advance and sent it out to my neighbours for taste testing, who very gently said the flavour combination was “a little weird” but that the cake was a keeper

this whiskey cake is fantastic by itself, or with the whiskey swapped for any other spirit (campari makes a really aromatic cake batter)

ingredients

whiskey cake

240g butter (very soft)

600g caster sugar

200g vanilla pudding mix

480g plain flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

240g (about 6 large) eggs

200g neutral oil

240mL milk

240mL whiskey

4 tsp vanilla extract

sour lemon curd

150g (about 2.5 large) eggs

4 lemons, zested and juiced

160g caster sugar

1.5 tsp citric acid

pinch salt

75g butter

lemon cream

600mL cream

3 tsp caster sugar

2 tsp gelatine powder

zest from above lemons

a few dashes angostura bitters

method

whiskey cake

preheat the oven to 160C

line 3 baking trays with baking paper

add the softened butter (240g) to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until fluffly (1-2 minutes)

add the sugar (600g), pudding mix (200g), and vanilla (4 tsp) and beat until the mixture is lightened and fluffy (2-3 minutes)

add the eggs (240g) and oil (200g) and pulse until just combined

sift in the flour (480g), baking powder (4 tsp), and salt (2 tsp) and mix until just combined

pour in the milk (240mL) and whiskey (240mL) and mix until just combined

divide the batter evenly between the three prepared baking trays

bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the trays as required until the cakes are golden and cooked through

let cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until required

sour lemon curd

whisk together the eggs (150g), lemon juice (from 4 lemons), sugar (160g), and citric acid (1.5 tsp) in a medium saucepan

cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the curd thickens and sets but does not boil

remove from the heat and stir in the salt (pinch) and butter (75g)

mix until the butter is completely incorporated

cover and let cool completely

store in the fridge until required

lemon cream

add all but a few tablespoons of the cream (600mL total) to the bowl of a stand mixer

sprinkle the gelatine powder (2 tsp) over the top of the reserved cream and let hydrate for a few minutes

microwave the gelatine cream mixture in 10-second intervals until the gelatine has fully dissolved

set aside to cool slightly

meanwhile, whisk the bulk of the cream to soft peaks

sprinkle in the sugar (3 tsp) and whisk to medium peaks

pour in the cooled gelatine mixture, lemon zest, and a few dashes of bitters

whisk together until just combined

this needs to be used fairly quickly before the gelatine sets!

assembly

remove the cooled cakes from the fridge and trim off the edges (chef’s snack)

for a 4-layer cake, trim one third off the end of each cake to make the fourth layer (see below)

place the bottom cake layer on your serving dish and spread one third of the cooled lemon curd on top

place the cut cake pieces on top to make the second layer

refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm up the partially assembled cake to make it easier to handle

repeat with the remaining cake and curd layers

cover the assembled cake with two-thirds of the lemon cream

transfer the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag and pipe decorative swirls and swooshes over the cake

serve in small (1 x 2 inch) squares