Bourbon-Pecan Cake

Makes 64 servings

Tiffany James

ingredients

Cake:
2 cups whole red candied cherries (14oz)
2 cups golden seedless raisins (9oz)
Bourbon
5 cups all purpose flour, sifted before measuring
4 cups pecans or walnuts (1 lb)
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups lightly salted butter or margarine, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar, packed to measure
8 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 T milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

directions

1
In a large bowl mix cherries and raisins with 2 cups bourbon. Cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
2
Grease a 10 inch tube pan and a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Line bottoms with wax paper.
3
Drain fruits; reserve bourbon. Mix 1/2 cup of the flour with the nuts; sift remaining flour with nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
4
In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add sugars, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yolks, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 2 cups of the flour mixture. With mixer at medium speed, add reserved bourbon alternately with remaining flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
5
In another large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer or rotary beater at high speed until stiff peaks form when whites are lifted with a spatula.
6
Stir about 1/4 of beaten whites into batter; fold in the remainder. Fold in cherries, raisins, and nuts. (There will be about 16 cups batter).
7
Heat oven to 275°. Pour about 12 cups of the batter into the tube pan and 4 cups into the loaf pan. Bake loaf pan 1 1/2 hours and tube pan about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and put on wire cake racks to cool for 2-3 hours.
8
Turn out cakes from pans; remove and discard wax paper. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth saturated with bourbon; then wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for several weeks. Unwrap cakes and put on serving plates. Spread glaze over top of cakes, letting some run down the sides.
9
Sugar Glaze:
10
Beat all ingredients in a small bowl until no lumps remain.