Italian Hang Over Cake Recipe
Moist and tender orange-flavored cake soaked in liquor syrup
Servings 15 slices
Ingredients
For The Soak Syrup
- 1 1/2 Cups Water (360ml)
- 1 Cup Sugar (200g)
- 1/4 Cup Coitreau (orange liquor) (60ml)
- 1/4 Cup Amaretto (Almond liquor) (60ml)
- 1/4 Cup Vodka (60ml)
For the cake
- 3 Cups All-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 Tablespoon Baking powder
- 1 3/4 Cups Sugar (350g)
- 1 Medium Orange
- 3/4 Cup Milk at room temperature (180ml)
- 2 Tablespooms Cointreau
- 1 Cup Unsalted butter at room temperature (225g)
- 1/2 Cup Olive oil (or canola) (120ml)
- 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
Make The Soak Syrup
- Place the water, sugar, Cointreau, Amaretto, and vodka in a medium saucepan and place over the stovetops.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has reached a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, pour into a large measuring cup, and refrigerate while you make the cake.
Make The Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a ten-cup bundt pan.
- Zest and squeeze the orange. Mix the juice with the milk and Cointreau. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.
- Rub the orange zest into the sugar.
- Using a stand mixer, or an electric mixer, beat the butter and orange sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the oil.
- Add the eggs, one egg at a time, waiting for each egg to completely incorporate before adding the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Reduce speed to low, then add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Bake over the medium oven rack for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven, then immediately soak the cake with the now chilled syrup.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 25-30 minutes, then invert it over a wire rack or a serving plate.
Notes
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Store the cake at room temperature, covered for up to three days.
- To freeze, gently wrap the cool cake with plastic wrap, place it in a plastic bag, and freeze for up to four weeks.
- For alcohol-free cakes, replace the liquors with orange juice. Or, replace the syrup with a dust of powdered sugar, a drizzle of ganache, or a citrusy glaze.
- For the cake to soak in the syrup, it needs to be at the opposite temperature of the syrup (warm cake, cold syrup), so plan ahead.