Bourbon Fruit Layer Dessert Recipes

BANANA BOURBON LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. In another bowl, mash bananas, and combine with buttermilk and vanilla. Add alternately to butter mixture with flour mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
• Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
• When cake layers are cool, whip cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff. Fold in sour cream. Place a cake layer on a plate, and spread with filling to within 1 inch of edge. Place other layer on top, and press down lightly. Chill for 1 hour.
• Slice bananas 1/2 inch thick. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When it sizzles, add slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with sugar. When golden brown, turn slices; cook until brown on other side.
• Carefully pour in bourbon (using a measuring cup, never the bottle) and ignite with a match. Cook until flames die down, shaking the pan to toss bananas in syrup. Remove from heat.
• Arrange banana slices on top of cake. Pour remaining syrup over cake, letting it drip down sides. Serve immediately.

BOURBON FRUIT LAYER DESSERT

Steps:

• Peel each orange and finely dice the flesh, discarding the tough core and any seeds (I find it easiest to quarter each orange, then peel).
• Hull and dice the strawberries.
• Put both fruits in a bowl and add the bourbon. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the sugar and stir. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Gently stir as frequently as you can- every 5 minutes if possible- to evenly blend the flavours.
• Finely grate the chocolate until you have the required 4 tablespoons grated (chilling it beforehand stops it from melting in your hands as you grate it) .
• When the fruit has finished soaking, whip the cream until it starts to stiffen.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar to the cream.
• Drain the fruit through a sieve, pouring the juices and bourbon into the whipped cream. Stir gently to mix.
• In four glasses, put a layer of fruit, then cream, then chocolate flakes. Repeat the layers of fruit, cream and chocolate, finishing with the chocolate. If desired, top with a fanned strawberry.

BOURBON-AND-BROWN-SUGAR CAKE WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment; butter parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Beat butter with granulated and brown sugars on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in bourbon. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternatingwith milk and beginning and ending with flour; beat until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle top with berries, pressing some down into batter. Sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake until edges begin to pull away from pan and top springs back when lightly touched, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Let cool in pan 20 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack carefully (cake is quite fragile when warm); remove parchment. Turn cake top-side up; let cool completely, about 1 hour.