The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets Read Online Free PDF Page B

juice, and lemon zest and beat just until incorporated.
    Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes 10 minutes in the pans, and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
    TO MAKE THE FROSTING , beat the butter and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk, limoncello, and Campari. Gradually beat in 1 to 2 more cups of confectioners’ sugar until buttercream is thick and creamy.
    Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with half of the buttercream. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread with the remaining buttercream.
    SHAKE IT UP: Substitute cherry liqueur, such as kirsch, for the Campari and add a drop or two of red food coloring to the frosting.

Lemon Campari Fizz
    2 ounces Campari
    1 ounce limoncello
    Lemon soda, such as Limonata, or soda water
    Lemon wedge, for garnish
    Pour the Campari and the limoncello into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with the lemon soda or soda water and garnish with the lemon wedge.
    M AKES
1
DRINK
    Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cake
    M AKES
12 TO 16
SERVINGS
OR 24
CUPCAKES
    S AY “SOUTHERN COMFORT” AND MOST PEOPLE will roll their eyes and groan, “SoCo. I haven’t had that since college.” It’s true that this sugary whiskey is a dorm room staple, along with John Belushi posters and economy-size plastic kegs of pretzels. But SoCo’s often-mocked sweetness lends itself to baking, yielding a subtle hint of whiskey without overpowering the other flavors. What could be more Southern or comforting than incorporating it into red velvet cake?
    FOR THE CAKE:
    3 cups cake flour
    4 tablespoons cocoa powder
    1½ teaspoons baking soda
    ½ teaspoon salt
    ¾ cup buttermilk
    ¼ cup Southern Comfort
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon white vinegar
    1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
    12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
    2 cups granulated sugar
    3 large eggs
    FOR THE FROSTING:
    14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
    6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
    ¼ cup milk
    ¼ cup Southern Comfort
    Chopped toasted pecans, for garnish (optional)
    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
    TO MAKE THE CAKE , whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, Southern Comfort, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring.
    In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
    Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack, and then remove them from the pans and cool completely.
    TO MAKE THE FROSTING , beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, the milk, and the Southern Comfort. Beat on low speed until creamy. Gradually add the remaining confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until the frosting has reached the desired consistency.
    Place one cake layer on a plate and spread it with about one-third of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the cake with chopped pecans, if using.
    SHAKE IT UP: For a bolder flavor, substitute Tennessee whiskey, such as Jack Daniels, for the Southern Comfort.

    Sachertorte
    M AKES
12 TO 16
SERVINGS
    F OR A LONG TIME I THOUGHT A SACHERTORTE was impossibly fussy and fancy. It was the sort of dessert a person bought at an elegant bakery filled with burnished old mirrors and