Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups bourbon
• 8 ounces golden raisins
• 16 ounces red candied cherries , halved
• 0.75 pounds butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs yolks
• 6 eggs whites
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pound chopped pecans
• 1 cup bourbon

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch tube pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Soak raisins and cherries in 2 cups of bourbon or whiskey for 48 hours. Before making cake, drain well and reserve bourbon.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, mix flour, nutmeg, and baking powder. Set aside.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, cream butter with white sugar. In a separate small bowl, cream yolks and brown sugar until very light.

5. 5

   In a large bowl, combine two sugar mixtures and blend well.

6. 6

   Alternately, add flour mixture and reserved bourbon in three stages, mixing well with each addition.

7. 7

   Add soaked fruit and fold in. Add nuts and fold in.

8. 8

   In a clean medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter until evenly distributed; pour into the prepared 10-inch tube pan.

9. 9

   Bake cake in the bottom of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 4 to 5 hours. Ovens vary, so it may take longer than 5 hours.

10. 10

    Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out. When almost cool, brush sides and inside hole heavily with bourbon. Wrap cake with a bourbon-soaked cheesecloth, then with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight and saturate again with bourbon. Cover with plastic wrap and then with foil and store for at least 2 weeks in a cool, dry place.