Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Cake

This is Kentucky’s answer to fruitcake. A full pound of butter, nine eggs, four cups of pecans, and enough bourbon to soak the cheesecloth you wrap it in for aging. It’s dense, rich, and improves with every day it sits.

The technique here matters. You cream the butter, sugar, and mace until genuinely light and fluffy, then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites at the end. That meringue is the only leavening in the entire cake, so beat those whites until they hold very stiff peaks. Under-beaten whites collapse under the weight of all those pecans and cherries.

Tossing the chopped maraschino cherries in flour before folding them in keeps them suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom. Same principle applies to the pecans. This classic trick is what gives you fruit and nuts in every slice from top to bottom.

Pro Tips

• Use a good sipping bourbon, not bottom-shelf. You’ll taste it in every bite and in the cheesecloth wrap.
• Pat the maraschino cherries dry with paper towels before flouring them. Wet cherries create red streaks through the batter and add unwanted moisture.
• Check with a cake tester at 1 hour 15 minutes. The high sugar and butter content means the outside can look done while the center is still raw.
• Re-soak the cheesecloth with fresh bourbon every few days during aging for maximum flavor penetration.

Variations

• Substitute dried cranberries or candied citrus peel for the maraschino cherries for a more traditional fruitcake style.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon alongside the mace for a warmer spice profile.
• Use walnuts in place of pecans if that’s what you have on hand.