'Old Fashioned' Bundt Cake

You know I don't need a reason to bake... I've been known to celebrate a random Tuesday with a cake. However, when there's a genuine reason for a hip hip hurray, I'm all over it with a special bundt. I love nothing more than concocting a flavour that I think will be right up someone's street; something personal to them. It was my friend Wayne's birthday last week, and he loves a strong Old Fashioned cocktail, so this seemed the only choice. I had to work some bundt alchemy, and transform it into a cake.

I can't tell you how good this cake smells; the sharpness of the orange, the warmth of the bourbon and the spice from the bitters. The addition of orange peel on top gives a lovely waft of citrus when you open the box too. I added a little swirl on the inside because I wanted to mimic that unmistakable bright orange colour you get in the cocktail, plus, who doesn't love a secret swirl hey? He was well chuffed, which made my little day.

Cake:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Angostura Bitters
• 350g Homepride plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp ginger
• 250ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 50ml good bourbon
• Orange food colouring gel

Topping:

• 500g icing sugar
• Bourbon or water - or a mix- your call... 
• Demerara sugar
• Orange peel
• Jelly cherries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with melted butter and dust with flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the vanilla extract and the bitters.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger.
7. Pour the yoghurt into a jug, and add the bourbon.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt. Repeat this until everything is combined. 
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Remove 5 tbsp of the batter, and dye orange.
11. Pour half of the standard mix into your prepared tin. 
12. Top with the orange layer.
13. Cover with the rest of the mix. These will marble naturally. 
14. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
15. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
16. When completely cool, mix the icing sugar with enough liquid to make a runny icing. I used all bourbon, which means STRONG icing, but you can use water if you desire. 
17. Tip it over your cake.
18. Decorate with demerara sugar, orange peel and jelly cherries for the full Old Fashioned effect!

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.