Whiskey Apple Cake
With the warmth of whiskey and the comforting flavors of apple, vanilla and cinnamon, this Whiskey Apple Cake is worthy to share.
This is a cake that warms the soul, boasting flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon, apple and whiskey. It has a fluffy crumb that makes it dreamy to eat, and even better to share. This cake is relatively easy to put together as it’s only two layers and left naked in decorating. Simply sandwich the icing in between the cake layers and it’s ready to enjoy.
What Makes This Whiskey Apple Cake Special?
I adapted this recipe from my Apple Spice Cake, here. I tested this recipe—off and on—for an entire year, so I’m particularly proud of it. For this Whiskey Apple Cake, I left out the reduced apple cider and replaced it with quality whiskey, and I also left out the orange and spice tea. Here, the apple is more of a compliment rather than the main star, so I wanted subtle apple flavor. When eating this cake, the whiskey hits after the first bite, providing a little spice and warmth; it’s truly a comfort dessert that has impressive depth of flavor.
Tips for Making Whiskey Apple Cake
1.) Choose a whiskey with good flavor. It doesn’t have to be top shelf, but the recipe does call for 2/3 cup, so it should be something enjoyable to sip on.
2.) To ensure the cake doesn’t stick when inverted, grease and flour the pan as directed, but also place a parchment round at the bottom of the pan. This will ensure the cake releases with ease.
3.) Squeeze out excess juice from the shredded apples, as directed. This will prevent the cake from becoming stodgy when baked. I often find apple desserts too dense—this simple step can really change the texture for the better.
4.) Spoon and level the flour for an accurate measurement. My apple spice cake calls for both cake flour and all-purpose flour, but for this recipe I tested with just all-purpose flour. Measuring the flour correctly will yield a crumb that is light and soft. Measuring incorrectly will yield a dense and lackluster crumb.
5.) Follow the mixing times highlighted in the instructions. For example, it says to mix the butter and sugars for four minutes and this should be followed. These times are listed for a reason.
Properly Measuring Flour
Many seasoned bakers recommend weighing ingredients for optimal accuracy—this isn’t bad advice. I do have a scale, and for macarons, and other delicate pastries, I do weigh ingredients. But for cake, I find spoon and leveling the flour a sufficient technique, for the most part. Simply, fluff the flour gently, and using a spoon, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and once it’s domed over the measuring cup, simply scrape away the excess flour with a knife back into the bulk flour. Why is this important? Too much flour is a nasty culprit of many baked goods going awry, creating heavy, dense and dry bakes. Measuring the flour correctly provides a whole new world of baking—yielding light desserts that are delicate and delicious.
Yummy Variations
Feel free make a browned butter cinnamon cream cheese icing instead of regular. Further, using a bourbon vanilla can add an extra oomph of flavor to the cake. If you don’t have Granny Smith apples on hand, it’s perfectly fine to use other varietals, just beware the cake may be a bit sweeter. Either way, make sure to squeeze out any extra juice before soaking the apples in whiskey.
If you want to skip the whiskey, you can make my regular apple spice cake here. You can also make these: Gingerbread Cake, Espresso Chocolate Bundt Cake with Kailua Glaze, Guinness Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin Spice Cake and Early Grey Cake. All of these cakes are cherished recipes that I hope you love! Please note: before clicking these links, please noe that a lot of these recipes call for a blend of all-purpose and cake flour. Cake flour can be found in the baking isle of many mainstream grocery stores. I highly recommend picking up a box the next time shopping.
Final Tip
When making cakes I always bring my eggs and dairy to room temperature. It truly makes a difference in quality. To read more about the importance of brining dairy to room temperature, you can read my blog post here.
Whiskey Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded Granny Smith apples, juice squeezed out
- 2/3 cup whiskey
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, not packed
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup Lifeway Kefir, room temperature
- 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar, to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
Instructions
- Place shredded apples with the juice squeezed out into a medium bowl. Add whiskey to the bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour two 9" cake pans. To guarantee the cake won't stick, line the bottom of the greased cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
- In a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 4 minutes. Drizzle the oil into the bowl on medium-low speed. Once incorporated, turn the mixer back to medium speed for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, briefly mixing batter on medium speed until smooth, scraping the bowl after each egg addition. Add in the vanilla and mix briefly.
- In a separate bowl, using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Spoon and level the flours for an accurate measurement.
- Alternating between the dry ingredients and the kefir, add 1/3 of flour into the mixing bowl on low speed. Immediately follow with 1/2 of the kefir followed by another 1/3 of the flour and the second 1/2 of the kefir. Finish with the remaining flour mixture. The mixer should be kept on low speed, so the flour and liquid don't splash out of the bowl. Scrape the bowl, making sure any dry ingredients trapped at the bottom are brought to the top. Add shredded apples and whiskey to the batter briefly mixing on medium speed to bring everything together.
- Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Start assessing your cakes at 20 minutes, but they could take up to 25 minutes or longer to bake, depending on the oven temperature. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool pans for 10 minutes, before running a knife around the edge of the pan and turning out the cake. Place cake on wire rack to finish cooling. Once cake is cooled, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This step is optional, but makes icing the cake easier.
- With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until there are no lumps and the consistency is smooth.
- Add sifted powdered sugar and cinnamon to the bowl, 1 cup at a time, mixing first on low speed to prevent splashing, then turning the mixer to medium-low until it's incorporated. Repeat process with remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar. Give the mixing bowl a good scrape and briefly mix one more time to complete the icing.
- Place one layer of cake on a clean turn table or cake board with a small dollop of icing underneath. This works as a glue, helping prevent the cake layers from sliding around while icing. Place a large dollop of icing on top of the first cake layer, spreading evenly with a small offset spatula or knife. Place the second cake layer and repeat process. Any leftover icing can be used to decorate the cake with a beaded boarder, or another decoration of choice. Store cake in the refrigerator until 2 hours before serving.
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