Sweet Bites: Harvey Wallbanger Bundt Cake

Harvey Wallbanger Bundt Cake - yes, it's got Galliano liqueur and vodka in it, but mostly it's filled with Delicious!

Have you noticed that we really enjoy cooking with booze? I’m sure that reveals something nefarious about our moral characters, but oh well. When the foodstuff in question is as tender and tasty as this orange-flavored, Galliano- and vodka-spiked Bundt cake I’m prepared to stand by our choices.

This is a family recipe, recovered from a crumbling cardboard box filled with handwritten paper scraps recounting familiar dishes from way back when. Not all the old recipes are winners worth repeating, but this Harvey Wallbanger Cake most definitely is, despite an Ingredients List containing boxed mixes. We don’t usually do that, but I’m glad we made an exception for Great-Aunt Sylvia’s delicious dessert.

Sadly, Sylvia is no longer with us, and she had retired from cake baking by the time I met her twenty-some-odd years ago.

But I have a vivid picture in my mind of Sylvia in a glamorous hostess caftan, hair perfectly coiffed, with a big welcoming smile, serving up slices of this deceptively simple cake. ​

That's Sylvia in the middle, along with some of our family's other leading ladies, Sarah and Dorothy.

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What Makes It Special: In addition to the fond memories inspired by this cake, it’s also powerfully delicious with citrus flavors and orange zest. The cake is also quite light, not dense at all. 

Kitchen Tips: As you can see in the photos, our regular Bundt pan was too small for this cake. The batter rose way above the top, resulting in an oddly-shaped cake. It still tasted great, don’t get me wrong, but would be better baked in an extra-large Bundt pan. My rule of thumb is to fill a cake pan about three-quarters full (unless the recipe calls for something else); extra batter can be poured into another pan or cupcake tin. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: I love it when a cake (or any food item, really) looks deceptively ‘average’ and then turns out to be magnificent. This is that. Strong citrus flavors, light crumb, happy campers. Next time we will add even more orange zest into the batter as well as within the glaze. 

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Harvey Wallbanger Cake
Recipe source: Sylvia Berry
 
INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:

• 1 Package Yellow Cake Mix (such as Duncan Hines)
• 1 Package Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
• 4 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 Cup Vodka
• 1/4 Cup Galliano liqueur
• Zest from 1 1/2 oranges

For the Glaze:

• 1 ounce Galliano
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce orange juice
• Zest from 1 ½ oranges
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a Bundt pan or spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
• In large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, vodka, Galliano, zest from 1 ½ oranges and water.  Mix at low speed for 1 minute and then beat 4 minutes more at medium speed. 
• Pour batter into a well-greased Bundt pan and bake for 40-45 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean). 
• Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan.

Make the Glaze:

• Combine the Galliano, vodka, orange juice, zest from 1 ½ oranges, and 1 cup confectioner's sugar. Blend until smooth.
• Poke holes in the top of the cake with a skewer or toothpick and pour glaze over the still warm cake. 

What's your favorite family recipe for dessert? Tell us in the Comments