Recipe courtesy of Tina Masciarelli, Buy Haywood Project Coordinator, inspired by Haywood’s first legal distillery — Elevated Mountain Distilling Company

Makes 1 bundt cake

Cake Ingredients

1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon Bourbon vanilla
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour (King Arthur preferred)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Steps of Cake Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Butter and lightly flour 10″ bundt pan

In a medium mixing bowl, sift flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter & sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until blended. Add buttermilk, mix on low just until blended. Add dry ingredients slowly, mix just until blended. Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake for 65-75 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place pan on a cooling rack and set aside. Do not turn cake out yet.

Make the Whiskey Glaze immediately to pour over warm cake—directions below.

Whiskey Glaze

1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4-6 Tablespoons Elevated Mountain Distilling Company’s Oak Reserve Whiskey, or whiskey of your choice (use more or less to taste)
2 Tablespoons Bourbon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.

While the cake is still warm, poke holes all through the cake using a knife or skewer.

Pour the warm glaze evenly over the cake while still in the pan.

Let cake cool completely in the pan. It is tempting to invert the cake…because it smells so incredibly good. DO NOT. Be patient. The cake is fragile.

When cake has cooled completely, gently loosen with a knife and turn out on a cake stand or plate. Dust the top with powered sugar.

This cake pairs beautifully with local seasonal berries. Serve & enjoy!

Photo: Nathalie Jolie