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Photo: Joy Howard
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:3 daysServings:24Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:30 minsTotal Time:3 daysServings:24
Active Time:30 mins
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:3 days
Total Time:
3 days
Servings:24
Servings:
24
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
In the time following the conference, Jan Bradford and I became friends. One day, she gifted me a copy of a recipe connected to the house. Historical recipes are fascinating but are occasionally in need of updating and revising for contemporary tastes. This nut cake recipe, however, needed no such updating. It came with Bradford’s advice that, since it was a dry cake, it might need something to balance the dryness. I suggested a whipped cream flavored with molasses to remind of southern Louisiana’s connection to the sugar industry. I was astounded many years later, while thumbing through a New Orleans cookbook, to discover a recipe for a similar topping entitled Creole Fluff.
When served with its accompanying Creole Fluff, a slice of this nut cake is perfect as an addition to a formal afternoon tea or on its own as a dessert. The cake not only brings a hint of sweetness but also gives diners a taste of the past.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)IngredientsCake2cupsgranulated sugar2cupsbutter (4 sticks), softened6large eggs3 ½cupsall-purpose flour½teaspoonsalt1cupbourbon, plus 2 tablespoons, divided2 ¾cupsgolden raisins2cupspecan halves, chopped1slightly tart apple, slicedCreole Fluff1cupheavy cream3tablespoonsdark molasses⅛teaspooncinnamon
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
Cake
2cupsgranulated sugar
2cupsbutter (4 sticks), softened
6large eggs
3 ½cupsall-purpose flour
½teaspoonsalt
1cupbourbon, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
2 ¾cupsgolden raisins
2cupspecan halves, chopped
1slightly tart apple, sliced
Creole Fluff
1cupheavy cream
3tablespoonsdark molasses
⅛teaspooncinnamon
DirectionsTo prepare cake:Preheat oven to 300°F. Place a shallow pan of water at the bottom of the oven to add moisture. Generously coat a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan (or tube pan), preferably nonstick, with cooking spray.Beat sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until well combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with 1 cup bourbon, starting and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition, about 2 minutes. Fold in raisins and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Let cool in the pan for at least 2 hours or overnight.Remove the cake from the pan to a plate. Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake; sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon. Arrange apple slices on top of the cake, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. (The apple slices will keep the cake moist and should be removed before serving.)Before serving,prepare Creole fluff:Combine cream, molasses and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Serve with the cake.To make aheadPrepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Continue with Step 4 just before serving.Equipment10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan or tube pan, preferably nonstickEatingWell.com, March 2022
Directions
To prepare cake:Preheat oven to 300°F. Place a shallow pan of water at the bottom of the oven to add moisture. Generously coat a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan (or tube pan), preferably nonstick, with cooking spray.Beat sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until well combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with 1 cup bourbon, starting and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition, about 2 minutes. Fold in raisins and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Let cool in the pan for at least 2 hours or overnight.Remove the cake from the pan to a plate. Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake; sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon. Arrange apple slices on top of the cake, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. (The apple slices will keep the cake moist and should be removed before serving.)Before serving,prepare Creole fluff:Combine cream, molasses and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Serve with the cake.To make aheadPrepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Continue with Step 4 just before serving.Equipment10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan or tube pan, preferably nonstick
To prepare cake:Preheat oven to 300°F. Place a shallow pan of water at the bottom of the oven to add moisture. Generously coat a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan (or tube pan), preferably nonstick, with cooking spray.
Beat sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until well combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time; beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with 1 cup bourbon, starting and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition, about 2 minutes. Fold in raisins and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Let cool in the pan for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Remove the cake from the pan to a plate. Use a fork to poke holes all over the cake; sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon. Arrange apple slices on top of the cake, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. (The apple slices will keep the cake moist and should be removed before serving.)
Before serving,prepare Creole fluff:Combine cream, molasses and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Serve with the cake.
To make aheadPrepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Continue with Step 4 just before serving.
To make ahead
Prepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Continue with Step 4 just before serving.
Equipment10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan or tube pan, preferably nonstick
Equipment
10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan or tube pan, preferably nonstick
EatingWell.com, March 2022
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)458Calories26gFat47gCarbs5gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
