Go Back
Print
Rosemary Bourbon Orange Bundt Cake

Rosemary Bourbon Orange Bundt Cake

If you prefer your sweet to have a little salty, barely sprinkle some fine sea salt, preferable with rosemary, over the glazed cake.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cakes
Author TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

For cake:

  • 3 cups (378 g) AP flour
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • zest of 2 oranges
  • 1-2 t minced fresh rosemary
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 2 T bourbon
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 3/4 cup sour cream

For glaze/topping:

  • juice from remaining zested oranges
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar to desired glaze thickness (read directions through first)
  • a pinch or 2 of a fine sea salt preferably with rosemary, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a nonstick bundt pan thoroughly with flour/grease mixture (this recipe makes 12 cups--if you are working with a 10 cup bundt pan, also bake some mini loaf cakes). Set aside.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  3. Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on moderate speed for 2 mins. Add the orange zest (reserve the oranges) and rosemary. Beat another 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  4. Add the sugar in 4 additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Continue scraping the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 secs after each addition and scraping down the sides of bowl. Add the vanilla and bourbon and blend it in.
  6. Whisk together the orange juice and sour cream (this took a little more than 1/2 of an orange--reserve the remaining orange juice from the 2 zested oranges for the glaze).
  7. Switching to the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Remember to keep scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
  8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth top with rubber spatula.
  9. How long you bake the cake will depend on the size(s). A 12 cup cake will take 60-70 minutes. A 10 cup bundt will take approximately 55-60 minutes. 1 cup size bundlettes take around 25 minutes. You will just need to watch for whatever sizes you choose to make.
  10. Bake the cake(s) for the recommended time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The baked cake will pull also slightly away from the sides of the pan.
  11. Cool the cake in the pan(s) on a rack for 10-15 mins, then invert onto another cooling rack.
  12. While the cake is cooling, squeeze the remaining orange juice as well as the juice of 1 lemon into a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and bring to a boil, stirring and dissolving the sugar completely. Taste--it should be sweet but still quite tangy. If it needs more sugar add it now.
  13. Brush the glaze onto the warm cake. Brush several layers worth.
  14. While the cake continues to cool, pour the remaining glaze into a smaller bowl. Whisk in some powdered sugar--to make a proper "white" glaze takes a lot of powdered sugar, but I do not care for how sweet it becomes. So I prefer to add a smaller amount and make the glaze much thicker, but not truly opaque. Also because of this, I am rarely certain of how much I add, as I tend to add it by the tablespoonful, until it is as thick as I want it.
  15. When the cake has cooled completely, pour the remaining thicker glaze over the cake. Dust with rosemary salt if desired. Let the glaze set completely before slicing.