Sazerac Cake
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) Cake
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon aromatic bitters*
  • Cherry Bourbon Filling (recipe follows)
  • Bourbon Swiss Meringue Frosting (recipe follows)
Cherry Bourbon Filling
  • 8 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup rye bourbon*
  • 2 (8-ounce) packages dried tart cherries
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Creole bitters
Bourbon Swiss Meringue
  • 1 cup extra-fine granulated sugar or castor sugar
  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons rye bourbon
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined after each addition. Stir in orange zest, vanilla, and bitters. Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing tops if necessary.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
  5. Place 1 cooled cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate. Spread half of Cherry Bourbon Filling on top. Place second cake layer on top of filling, and spread remaining filling on top of cake layer. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up. Wrap cake in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
  6. Unwrap cake, and place on a serving plate. Spread Bourbon Swiss Meringue Frosting on top and sides of cake. Using a handheld kitchen torch, carefully brown frosting.
Cherry Bourbon Filling
  1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, melted butter, and bourbon. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 160°, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cherries, vanilla, and bitters. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Bourbon Swiss Meringue
  1. In the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together sugar, egg whites, bourbon, cream of tartar, and salt. Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and cook, whisking frequently, until sugar completely dissolves and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°.
  2. Carefully return bowl to stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat at high speed until stiff peaks form, 6 to 8 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Use immediately.
Notes
*We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

*We used Sazerac Rye.

*We used Peychaud’s Bitters.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/sazerac-cake/