Miniature Bourbon Cakes

These miniature bourbon cakes are a boozy dessert lover’s paradise! With a fluffy yellow cake base, these mini morsels are soaked in a bourbon sugar glaze that’s bursting with flavor. Perfect for enjoying alongside a cup of tea (or hey, more booze!). 

What could be more British than a bit of boozy cake at teatime?

Okay, to be fair–I don’t really know if bourbon + afternoon tea is really a thing across the pond. It sounded like such a romantic, proper excuse for encouraging daytime alcohol consumption that I’m pairing today’s recipe with a nice English breakfast tea regardless. But feel free to enjoy these adorable mini bourbon cakes any way (and any time of day) you’d like–I won’t judge, I promise!

As Europe trip planning continues, I’m getting more mileage than ever out of this cute sky blue Cath Kidston tea towel, which I bought last year at London Heathrow airport. My list of things to do in each city is also expanding like crazy: from the British Library and Ashdown Forest to the Dublin Trinity College libraries and the Norwegian islands, I’m starting to feel like five weeks won’t be nearly enough to see everything! Still, I’m excited to be spending time with so many different friends in a round dozen countries and simply can’t wait to embark soon.

In the meantime, though, I’m dreaming of these miniature bourbon cakes! I started with a yellow cake recipe similar to the one that I used in my favorite rum cake recipe, then poked some holes in each little dessert and drenched it all in a killer bourbon-sugar glaze. The result is a slightly crystallized exterior and a perfectly fluffy, boozy interior in each bundt cake: everyone who tried it agreed that it was a home run hit! If you’re looking to add a bit of booze to your next teatime, morning snack, or posh gathering, definitely keep this recipe on the books. (Trust me, you’ll thank me for it later.)

You’re welcome, and happy booze–er, tea-timing!

 Love,

Miniature Bourbon Cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

These miniature bourbon cakes are a boozy dessert lover's paradise! With a fluffy yellow cake base, these mini morsels are soaked in a bourbon sugar glaze that's bursting with flavor. Perfect for enjoying alongside a cup of tea (or hey, more booze!).

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Ingredients

For the yellow cake:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 tablespoons and 1/2 cup oil, divided
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the bourbon sugar glaze:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup bourbon

Instructions

For the yellow cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease and generously flour 12 mini bundt cake cavities and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixture on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and 3 tablespoons oil; mix in on low speed until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add instant pudding mix and mix on low speed for another minute, until combined.
3. Add eggs, milk, bourbon, remaining 1/2 cup oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until completely combined, about 2-3 minutes. This will be a very thin batter.
4. Divide batter evenly between prepared cavities and bake for 20-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center of each cake comes out mostly clean, with moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick.
5. As you wait for your cake to finish baking (with about 10 minutes left), make your bourbon syrup (see instructions below). Once your cakes come out of the oven, wait 5 minutes, then very carefully wiggle your cakes out of the pan (I used my spatula and ran it around the edges gently), inverting them onto a large serving platter. Poke lots of holes all over your cakes--yes, even on the sides--with a chopstick or toothpick.
6. Using a brush, slowly smear warm rum sauce all over each miniature cake. Make sure that the sauce seeps fully into the holes and not down the sides of the cake. Serve immediately; store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days (time will enhance the boozy flavor of these cakes!).

For the bourbon sugar glaze:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to create a thinnish syrup. Remove from heat and immediately stir in bourbon.