"Drunk Date" Cake

What happens when you tweak a recipe? Usually you get a much better recipe. What happens when you give that tweaked recipe a little pinch in the ass? You get Apple-Date Whisky Cake! Also known as "Drunk Date" Cake.

I took my apple cake recipe from the other day and passed it a shot of Johnny Walker Black Label. OMG! This one is definitely keeper! I did a couple of tiny adjustments with the spices and since I ran out of dried cranberries, I used dried dates instead. In the original recipe, I plumped up the dried cranberries with a little lemon juice. But lemon juice didn't seem to strike the right chord with the dried dates. Looking around my kitchen, I found a bottle of Johnny Walker hiding in my cabinet. I don't typically drink whisky but I received this bottle as a gift one Christmas. It has, in the past found its way into several BBQ sauces and marinades, but never before into a dessert. I thought it would be a nice compliment to the dates ( I mean, who doesn't like a drunk date?!)

(I topped the cake with a cinnamon buttercream icing and chopped walnuts. My recipe for the icing was not as good as others that I have used in the past, so I won't include that recipe here. Why ruin an otherwise fantastic cake?)

"Drunk Date Cake" (Apple-Date Whisky Cake)

(To prevent over-browning due to the agave nectar, try baking at a lower temperature for a bit longer time.)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 cup light agave nectar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried dates-soaked in 1 shot(1/4 cup) of scotch whisky

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare pan (I used a bundt pan) with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. In a medium bowl, sift in and mix first 7 ingredients. In a separate large bowl, mix agave nectar, applesauce, and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each egg. Add flour mixture little by little and beat until smooth. Drain extra whisky from dates. Gently mix in the apples, dates, and walnuts until well incorporated. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45-50 minutes or until a skewer stuck into the cake comes out clean.