What better way to kick off National Iced Tea month than with a Long Island Iced Tea cake? Actually, there are probably much better ways considering the cake, and the drink for that matter, do not contain tea. I chose tonight’s recipe from “Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Spirits, Wine, and Beer
The cake was a soft yellow, which stands to reason given it was pretty much a yellow cake batter with some alcohol thrown in. The boozy soaking sauce made from gin, rum, tequila, vodka, triple sec, and dark cola is what really gave the cake its flavor. The recipe directs the baker to use a 9×13 pan, and once cool, to cut the cake into bite-size pieces to soak in the boozy sauce.
I used two, eight-inch round pans and brushed the sauce on the top and over the sides. I cut the cake using a circular cookie cutter and then dusted the tops with powdered sugar. As an afterthought, the cakes might have been nice stacked and served with a lemon filling between the layers.
On another note, please bear with me as I learn the art of taking a nice photo. Until 4:30 p.m. today, I didn’t even own a digital camera. There are many food blogs out there with beautiful pictures, but this is not yet one of them. The pictures here will get better.
Before I leave the subject of tea this evening, I want to share a favorite summer tea drink. A college roommate gave me the recipe for Suicide Tea quite a few years ago, and it’s been one of my favorite summer beverages ever since. I like the taste of the tea in the drink, but it is strong, so feel free to omit it if you do not care for the taste. Just be sure to substitute the missing cup of liquid with water, not the Vodka…
Suicide Tea
1 can Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
1 can Frozen Lemonade Concentrate
1 can Frozen Limeade Concentrate
5 bags tea brewed in 1 cup of water
½ Fifth Vodka
Combine ingredients and add water to equal one gallon.
- 2 cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon gin
- 1 Tablespoon rum
- 1 Tablespoon tequila
- 1 Tablespoon vodka
- 1 Tablespoon triple sec
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons dark cola
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- Syrup
- 1 tablespoon gin
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 1 tablespoon tequila
- 1 tablespoon vodka
- 1 tablespoon triple sec
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons dark cola
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Combine the alcohols, lemon juice, cola, vanilla extract and milk in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks on medium speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of the sugar and continue beating until a thick ribbon forms.
- Gradually beat in the remaining sugar and the butter.
- Gradually add the dry flour mixture and the wet alcohol mixture to the egg mixture in alternating additions. Continue to mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into two, greased and floured eight inch round cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cakes’ centers comes out clean.
- While the cake cools, combine the ingredients for the syrup.
- When cool, pour the syrup over the cake to soak before serving. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.
Whoa- that boozy sauce has a lot of alcohol!
Looking forward to more recipes and adventures!!
Silly me. I thought the only way to combine alcohol and dessert was to order a glass of wine!