THB : Holiday Cranberry-Nut Bourbon Cake

For this week's bake at The Home Bakers (THB), this cake, Holiday Cranberry-Nut Bourbon Cake is selected by Diana of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. I like the name of this recipe, it sounds so festive with the cranberries and bourbon! Reminds me of Christmas!

OK! I know what you must be thinking, but NO, these are NOT doughtnuts!

 It does look like a doughnut! I do agree! Hahaha!

I made half a recipe and used two small ring tube pans, plain all around, with no patterns or corners. And the resulted small cakes actually look like doughnuts from the top, especially with the sprinkling of powdered sugar!

Bourbon, or you may use any whisky.

I've made a couple of minor changes to the recipe. As usual, I've reduced the sugar, and used only 1/3 cup for half a recipe. To replace the buttermilk, I've used a mixture of homemade yoghurt with some milk. And I have used only 1/4 cup of frozen cranberries as cranberries are usually very sour. Made up the balance of the cranberries with more golden raisins. And I have omitted the nuts as my family is not really fond of nuts in cakes, though I do sometimes add some nuts in bakes. But sometimes I omitted the nuts, like this time, to be fair, sometimes "now you see it", sometimes "now you don't"! 

When the cake is baked and fresh out of the oven, hot and still in the baking pan, pour over the hot cake, a mixture of orange juice and bourbon. I used a wooden skewer to poke thru the cake all over before the mixture is poured over. Let the cake sit in the pan for about 15 minutes, then unmold and cool on a wire rack. The cake is very moist, with almost dense-like crumbs, but with a soft texture. The golden raisins and the cranberries makes a nice pairing, as one is sweet and the other is sour, so it balances off nicely.

For the full recipe and instructions, please visit the host of this bake, Diana of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. To view other members' bake, please visit The Home Bakers (THB).

We are a group of home bakers who are currently baking from "Coffee Cakes" by Lou Seibert Pappas, until each recipe from this book has been baked. This is our bake no. 33 and we have 27 recipes more to go. If you are interested to be a member and join in our bakes, you may drop me an email at kitchenflavours@yahoo.com.