Our Boozy Bourbon Bundt Cake Recipe with Raisins

I admit whenever I hear 'Bundt cake' it reminds me of the movie scene from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when the mother of the groom sticks a bouquet of flowers in the middle of the cake and continues to call it a 'bun cake.' Alas, I had no flowers at the bakery today so I am giving you a unadorned Bundt cake but with a flavor that makes up for the lack of decoration! This Bourbon Raisin Bundt cake produces a brioche-like cake with a hint of bourbon which results from soaking the raisins and brushing the crust with a bourbon syrup.

The history of the contemporary Bundt cake and Bundt pan is quite interesting and I enjoyed reading about it on Food & Wine.

Tips for Making the Bourbon Raisin Bundt Cake

Prepare the Pan and Ingredients for the Raisin Bundt Cake:

Bundt cake pans, especially ones with intricate designs, can be tricky to work with. The last thing you want to do is spend a over an hour creating your cake and it falls apart when you unmold it! Spend a little extra time preparing your pan to lessen the chances of this happening. Generously spray the pan with baking spray making sure to get the spray into any little crevices. Use a paper towel to remove any excess spray that may have pooled in the pan. Alternatively, melt a few tablespoons of butter and brush the pan well with the melted butter. Next, using a fine mesh sifter, sprinkle flour into the pan and tap out the excess.
Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature before making the cake batter. Separate the eggs while they are still cold as cold eggs will separate easier and there is less chance of the yolks breaking. Room temperature eggs whites will mix faster and aerate better than cold whites.

Procedure to Prepare the Batter for the Bundt Cake:

This recipe calls for using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment but a hand mixer will work fine with a little extra effort.
Begin by creaming the butter and the first measure of the sugar until it is light and fluffy. Next the egg yolks are added followed by the bourbon and finally the remaining dry ingredients. The batter will be quite thick but it will lighten up when adding the whipped egg whites.
Whip the egg whites until they turn foamy then begin to add the second measure of sugar to the bowl over a one minute period.
When adding the whipped egg whites to the batter: 1) stir in the first addition of the whites to lighten the batter; 2) gently fold the remaining whites into the batter taking care not to deflate the aerated eggs.

Unmolding and Serving the Raisin Bundt Cake:

Place the cake pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. After 5 mines flip the pan upside down onto the cooling rack, use oven mitts as the pan is still hot, and allow to cool completely (approximately one hour).
After the cake has cooled the pan should be carefully lifted off the cake. If the cake does not come out of the pan on its own, gently loosen the sides with a small spatula or knife.
Generously brush the bourbon simple syrup over the cake for an added punch of bourbon.
This cake is wonderful on its own but you can dress it up with one of the following ideas:
- Sprinkle confectioners' sugar over the cake.
- Drizzle serving plates with bourbon flavored caramel
- Add a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to the plate.