Baking with Booze

by Nicole Watts

A fast and easy black forest Bundt cake made with Travis Hasse’s Cherry Pie Liqueur & Chocolate Shop Wine.

What you’ll need

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ¾ cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk ****
• 1 cup Chocolate Shop wine
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 8 - 16 oz. Dried tart cherries
• Travis Hasse’s Cherry Pie Liqueur
• Powdered sugar
• Hot fudge or chocolate sauce (optional)

The night before

1      Put dried cherries in a bowl.

2     Add cherry pie liqueur to cover them.

3     Soak overnight.

Instructions

1      Pour cherries and remaining liquid into small saucepan and cover.

2     Heat until cherries are plump.

3     Set aside to cool.

1      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2     Grease and “flour” Bundt pan with a sprinkle of cocoa powder

3     Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

4     Add eggs, buttermilk, wine, oil and vanilla.  (Batter will be thin.)

5     Pour evenly into Bundt pan.

6     Gently add cherries evenly to batter

7     Bake for 45 minutes.

8     Cool for 20 minutes

9     Invert pan onto serving plate

10   Dust with powdered sugar

**This can also be served with hot fudge or chocolate sauce drizzled over the top for those who like their cake extra sweet.

**** In baking, regular milk can be substituted for buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar or 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar per cup of regular milk. Allow the soured milk to stand for ten minutes before adding to recipes.