Our family attended a neighborhood block party last weekend and I offered to bring a dessert. Given that most of the fellas in attendance are big fans of “brown water,” I landed on this Southern Living Brown Sugar Bourbon cake. I followed the recipe to the letter (as one does when baking) and it turned out perfectly! Recipe below:

Ingredients

1 c butter, room temperature

1/2 c shortening

16 oz package of light brown sugar

5 lg eggs

1 can 5 ounces evaporated milk

1/2 c bourbon

3 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixture until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating at medium speed until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together evaporated milk and bourbon in a bowl. Sift together flour, baking powder,and salt in another bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla bean paste. Pour batter into into a greased and floured 10 inch, 12 cup Bundt pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F for one hour and 5 to 10 minutes. OR…until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 to 15 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely (about one hour). Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Brown Sugar Bourbon Cake

I always grease my Bundt pan with Crisco AND spray it with Baker’s Joy. Nothing is more frustrating than a cake that sticks to the pan!