Photo: Vash's Nut Cake Recipe
A friend of his gave this dessert recipe to Chef. The original recipe says that this cake was always a Christmas dessert, made annually by their grandmother, Vashti Keoun, in Cotton Valley, La.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk, water or whiskey
- 3 cups hickory nuts or pecans, chopped (hickory nuts are best)
- 1 cup whiskey or bourbon, plus more for re-wetting the cheesecloth if the cake is stored for any length of time
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped, for serving with cake
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a tube pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and milk or whiskey. Fold in nuts and pour into prepared baking pan. Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rung of the oven. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean when placed in the center of the cake.
Allow cake to cool on a cooling rack. When the cake has cooled completely, use a pastry brush to coat all sides of the cake with whiskey. This should use about 3/4 cup. Wrap the cake in a piece of cheesecloth and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of whiskey over the cheesecloth so that it is damp. Store the cake in the refrigerator for several weeks, re-wetting the cheesecloth as needed with additional whiskey.
Serve with whipped cream
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By CherIkeR
West Sacramento, CA
on November 15, 2010
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This is a recipe my mother-in-law did every year for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. She started the cake about a month before it was to be served, kept the cake refridgerated and covered by cheesecloth, and at least once a week she would resoak the cheesecloth in bourbon. Also she used half and half chopped pecans and walnuts. I've been looking for this recipe for years. Thank you so much for listing it online!
By jfox6_6747021
San Antonio, TX
on November 20, 2006
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I tried this recipe 2 Holiday seasons ago and again last year. Rave revues from those lucky enough to get some, and I plan to make it again this year. The tough part is getting the Hickory nuts here in San Antonio, TX. That's really the only reason I didn't give a 5 star rating. One suggestion, this is not a dish to use with a canle light setting for obvious reasons.
By angelique.jeffe...
winston-salem, NC
on January 30, 2006
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I waited until January 24 so that I could watch Emeril make this cake and it was the worth the wait. It was much easier to make than my Grandmother's recipe for nut cake. Her cake is very good too but takes hours to make. This cake took only a short time. From the batter to the cake the taste was fantastic. Thank you so much Emeril.
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