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Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake for #BundtBakers

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake | Magnolia Days

A thought occurred as soon as my fingers touched the bottle. I pulled it out of the cabinet and set it on the counter. It is the usual thing to do when these friends visit. We have wine and cocktails when they arrive. Anyway, I was thinking how much I like the smell and taste of bourbon in baked goods. That thought carried into my decision on baking a Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake.

Another small factor went into the decision. The theme this month for Bundt Bakers is Sprinkles. It was set by our host Terri of Love and Confections. I have a confession: I do not care for sprinkles and never have even as a kid. They are cute, fun, and these days come in all shapes and sizes. Yet I’ll pass. Luckily anything sprinkled on or in a cake qualified. Toasted chopped nuts fit the theme.

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake | Magnolia Days

Okay, I admit I’ve used sprinkles before. I’ll use them again too. They are a lovely garnish for styling cupcakes, cookies, and cakes. It goes into the category of things food bloggers do for photographs. So the sprinkled ones you see in my photos were enjoyed by someone else. I had a plain one.

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake | Magnolia Days

How is Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake? It is dense and loaded with bourbon soaked walnuts. It’s buttery, nutty, and topped with bourbon glaze and a sprinkling of toasted walnuts. This cake is definitely one to bake for anyone who enjoys bourbon. It’s also one for the holidays when boozy cakes like rum cake are popular.

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake | Magnolia Days

Do you like sprinkles? Scroll down to find a list of bundt cakes with a sprinkling of something either in or on them. The recipes are a click away. There is a bunch of stunning cakes to see. Bundts are beautiful anyway and sprinkles can only add to the beauty. Take a look at No-Bake Bourbon Pecan Cookies or Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Cookies for more of my recipes with bourbon.

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake | Magnolia Days
4.19 from 11 votes
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Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake is loaded with bourbon soaked walnuts, topped with a bourbon glaze, and sprinkled with toasted walnuts.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 to 16 servings
Author Renee

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 eggs at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the glaze:

  • 2 cups confectioners sugar sifted
  • 3 tablespoons cream plus more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons bourbon
  • Pinch of salt

For topping:

  • Toasted walnut halves
  • 2 tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Stir together chopped walnuts and bourbon in a small bowl. Allow nuts to soak in bourbon for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
  3. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
  4. Beat eggs in a medium bowl until they are thick and light. Add eggs to creamed mixture. Beat on low to combine then on high until mixture is thick and fluffy. Note at first the mixture will look curdled but it is not. Just keep beating and it will smooth out.
  5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to wet ingredients and beat until just combined. Stir in bourbon-soaked walnuts.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread batter so it is higher at the side and against the tube. Place a square of brown parchment paper on the pan to cover the cake.
  7. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool cake in pan for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Pour glaze over cake, place walnut halves on top, and sprinkle chopped walnuts on glaze.

For the glaze:

  1. Stir together confectioners sugar, cream, butter, bourbon, and salt. Add more cream, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired glaze consistency is reached.

Recipe Notes

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake is loaded with bourbon soaked walnuts, topped with a bourbon glaze, and sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

Recipe adapted from Nordic Ware Bundt Cookbook published in 2004 (no longer in print).

Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake is loaded with bourbon soaked walnuts, topped with bourbon glaze, and sprinkled with toasted chopped walnuts.

Are you looking for a festive cake to bake? Here are bundt cake recipes with sprinkles by talented bakers from around the world:

Bundt Bakers LogoWhat is Bundt Bakers? It’s a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Bundt Bakers Pinterest board for incredible bundt cake recipes and inspiration. Stacy of Food Lust People Love heads up our group and has a #BundtBakers page where you can find information and links to the recipes for each month.

How is the monthly theme determined? We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.

Recipe Rating




Quin

Friday 1st of November 2019

I can't have alcohol. Can I omit the bourbon or is there a substitute for it?

Katie Moseman

Thursday 14th of November 2019

You might try this substitution: https://www.leaf.tv/articles/nonalcoholic-substitutes-for-bourbon-whiskey/

Laura

Monday 31st of August 2015

I love bourbon in baking! This is fabulous!

Lamejormanera

Thursday 27th of August 2015

I love whole post. The photos, the nuts... Looks delicious ^^

I love Bundt Cakes

Wednesday 26th of August 2015

Simply delicious!!!!

Margaret

Tuesday 25th of August 2015

Oh, yes, PLEASE!! Bourbon soaked anything would make a day so good.