I have been baking this cake since I was a nanny for Lucy about 25 years ago. You can bake it in a pan or a bundt ring (which is what I prefer). It is super moist and perfect for birthdays. I have even frozen it in the past and it defrosts really well. It really doesn't need a topping but some ice-cream, whipped cream, or even butter cream frosting all tastes great with it.

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

Cooking oil spray
Flour for dusting
1 package (18.25 oz) plain devil's food cake mix
1 package (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup warm water
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 Cups semisweet Chocolate chips

Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 350 deg. Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water and oil in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer at low speed for 1 minute.

Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look thick and well-combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well-distributed throughout the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto the rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more. Or invert it onto a serving platter to slice and serve while still warm.

Alex loves Ma-Po Tofu. This is another dish that I like to do during the winter because I add some garlic chili sauce for some heat. I don't poach the tofu and I don't add the sichuan-peppercorn powder.

Ma-Po Tofu

1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons hot bean paste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Additive-free kosher salt to taste
1lb regular or soft (not silken) tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons corn, peanut, or canola oil
1/2 lb ground pork shoulder (preferably 75% lean)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons Japanese sesame oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon toasted Sichuan-peppercorn powder 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion

Make sauce: Stir together broth, bean paste, soy sauce, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Poach tofu: Slide tofu into a saucepan of simmering water and keep at a bare simmer while stir-frying rest of dish.

Stir-fry pork: Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until hot and add 1 1/2 tablespoons corn oil, swirling to coat. Add pork and stir-fry, breaking up lumps and adding remaining 1/2 tablespoon corn oil if meat sticks, until no longer pink. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry over moderate heat until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Finish stir-fry: Stir reserved sauce, then add to pork and bring to a simmer. Drain tofu in a large sieve and slide into sauce, stirring gently.

Stir cornstarch mixture and add to stir-fry. Bring to a boil, stirring gently, and cook until thickened and glossy, about 15 seconds.

Turn off heat and sprinkle with sesame oil, Sichuan-peppercorn powder to taste, and 2 tablespoons scallion. Stir once or twice, then serve sprinkled with remaining tablespoon scallion.

This was so easy and so rich and savory. It was great with a salad although Alex felt it wasn't enough and had a can of chili as well (I thought he was just being a glutten). I had it cold the next day for breakfast and it was delicious. This would be great for a shower or a lunch for friends. A salad, some fresh fruit and cream, and maybe a mimosa to round out the occasion.

Carmelized Onion and Garlic Tart
The Dinner Doctor by Anne Byrn via San Diego Union Tribune

1 x 8oz package refrigerated crescent rolls
2 Tbsp butter
2 packed cups thinly sliced onions (from 2 medium-sized onions)
4 - 5 garlic cloves, sliced or crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, optional
2 large eggs
½ C heavy cream or whole milk
½ C shredded parmesan cheese

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

Separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles and arrange in a 10-inch tart pan or pie pan with long points toward the center so the bottom and side of the pan are covered with dough. Press edges of triangles together to seal. Bake until lightly browned and puffed, about 8 minutes.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and thyme, if using. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, another minute or two. Remove from heat.

Remove crust from oven; leave oven on. Press down on crust with the back of a spoon to flatten it. Arrange onions on the bottom of the tart, using a fork to spread them out and completely cover the bottom. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and parmesan cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the onions.

Bake tart until custard has set and the crust is a deep golden brown, 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Slice tart and serve.

6 - 8 servings

It's Thursday night and Alex is out with his writer's group - well, actually, it's now down to him and Sally. Anyway, tonight's dinner for me was chicken livers. This is another item that Alex doesn't care to eat so I decided to have them tonight with roasted asparagus and a salad. I roasted the asparagus in a bit of olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt. After it was cooked I added a dash of balsamic vinegar. For the salad I used romaine lettuce and cucumber with the Boese family dressing. This chicken liver recipe comes from my favorite web page - http://www.epicurious.com - as usual, and is a very rich dish - easily serves 2 people. I ate half for dinner and have saved the rest for lunch tomorrow

Port-Glazed Chicken Livers and Onions

Ingredients:

2 onions, sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound chicken livers, halved and trimmed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup Tawny Port
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (procedure follows) and chopped

Directions:

In a heavy skillet sauté the onions in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring, until they are golden brown and transfer them to a plate.

In a bowl toss the chicken livers, patted dry, with the flour and salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil in the skillet over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking, and in it sauté the chicken livers, turning them, for 3 minutes, or until they are just cooked through but still pink within.

Add the onions, the Port, and 3 tablespoons water and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the liquid is thickened. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture between 2 heated plates, and top each serving with half the remaining parsley and half the hazelnuts.

To Toast and Skin Hazelnuts
Toast the hazelnuts in one layer in a baking pan in a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are colored lightly and the skins blister. Wrap the nuts in a kitchen towel and let them steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the towel to remove the skins and let them cool.

Serves 2

Many thanks to Epicurious.com for another fabulous recipe.

I made this last week as part of a brunch menu for a bunch of friends. I might have overcooked it because it was a bit dry but the flavor was really good so I would like to try again.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
A real American breakfast by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison via San Diego Union Tribune

Struesel
½ Cup pecan pieces
6 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Cake
2 Cups sour cream
2 large eggs
4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp minced fresh orange zest
3 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamond
½ lb unsalted butter, softened
2 Cups granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch bundt pan. Scatter pecans evenly over the bottom of bundt pan. Combine brown sugar, 1½ tsp cinnamon and the nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture evenly over the pecans, reserving the rest.

Whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla and orange zest together in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and ½ tsp cinnamon.

With an electric mixture on medium speed, cream the butter and granulated sugar together, beating until fluffy and light. Pour in the sour cream mixture about ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture about 1/3 at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after each addition and beating only until combined. The batter will be thick. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Leave its surface rather uneven. Sprinkle with remaining streusel mixture and then spoon in the remaining batter, smoothing the surface.

Bake on oven's middle rack for 55 to 60 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges, hold a plate over the bottom, invert pan and then remove pan. Cool for at least 10 minutes more before slicing.

Cake keeps well for several days tightly covered.

Serves 8

Alex is laying on the couch groaning. He LOVES meatloaf and ate so much of this one. This recipe makes a huge amount of meatloaf - so much that I had to run down to the store to buy some aluminum loaf pans (did not make as one big loaf). It's really good. I served with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and gravy. This recipe comes from Mario Batali's father via epicurious.com. It freezes really well and the leftovers make great sandwiches.

Beef & Sausage Meat Loaf with Mozzarella

2 pounds lean ground beef (15 percent fat)
1 pound coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, meat crumbled
2 cups chopped fresh basil
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce, divided
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup dry red wine

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 11 ingredients in large bowl. Gently mix in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, eggs, and wine. Place meat mixture on large rimmed baking sheet and shape into 16x4-inch loaf. Brush with remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Bake meat loaf until cooked through and thermometer inserted into center registers between 160°F and 170°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

8 servings

We are all sitting on the couch with with swollen bellies wondering why we ate as much as we did. It has been a long and full day with presents and much eating and drinking.

The day didn't start too early and it got off to a good start with Multigrain toast w/scrambled eggs & Canadian bacon, coffee, and fresh fruit salad.

Klaus tucking in to the first meal of the day - his scrambled eggs



The idea was to eat a substantial breakfast that would last us until our dinner later in the day. Did it work? Not really! I had put out nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate to snack on if anyone got a bit peckish and a fair amount got eaten during the day.

Anyway, after breakfast we all sat around the Christmas tree drinking mimosas and opened our presents. I won't go into details but Santa bought us all some really cool stuff as well as the oddities that always show up in the stockings.

Before and after the presents were opened



It was a beautiful day and we spent some time outside reading before getting dinner ready. Yesterday we had all done a lot of preparation to make today easier. We had a nice table setting for the occasion.



The Menu
Butternut Squash Soup with Melted Blue Cheese. It was so warm we ate the soup out on the patio before moving inside for the main course.



Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Cauliflower Puree and
Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Red Onion



Arugula, Pear and Stilton Salad. We got to this part and skipped it because we were so full.

Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce for dessert. I had bought these items from the English import store and can't imagine a Christmas at home without them.

I bought Alex an electronic keyboard because he wants to learn how to play the piano. The keyboard is soft and rolls up for easy storage.


It was a fabulous day but I'm glad it's bedtime.

It's Christmas Eve and we all spent the day preparing for tomorrow's dinner. Before Janet and Klaus arrived I had made a 'To-do-list' for everyone. We had to run to the store for last minute items but generally it was a relaxing day at home chopping, slicing, and dicing for various recipes for our big Christmas Day dinner. We also had last minute presents to wrap and I had an early huge surprise. Around 4pm this afternoon Alex sent me to my room saying he had something he had to do but didn't want me to see. I was all excited thinking he and his Dad were putting together a bicycle for me which I had been asking for for a while.

It turns out that Alex had repaired some of the brick work in our fireplace and had a chimney sweep come in and fix our chimney for us and he surprised me with a roaring fire in the grate. We have lived in this house for over 4 years and one of the reasons we wanted it was because it had a working fireplace. Now at last it is really is working. Well, it actually smoked the house out a bit but we soon got over that after the windows were opened. We had to rearrange the fire a bit to make sure the smoke went up the chimney and not into the living room.



Anyway, with the warm glow of the fire, the tree with all it's lights in the front bay window it is definitely beginning to look like Christmas. We sat around drinking the eggnog that Janet had made using an old family recipe, and admired the flames for a while before I started putting dinner on the table.

Tonight's dinner was cooked 2 days ago before Janet and Klaus arrived. Just under half is already in the freezer for some future meal for us. Meantime, the cassoulet had sat for a couple of days and the flavor improved considerably. This is a perfect dinner for a cold winter's night. It's unfortunate that San Diego doesn't get many cold nights and tonight was no exception - especially with the fire going. Anyway, it was Christmas, it was winter, and we imagined the cold. I did make a couple of changes to the recipe - I took half of the pork and substituted with boneless, skinless, chicken thighs cut into chunks. I also omitted the directions in the last paragraph. I served this meal with a salad and a baguette for sopping up the sauce and it was fabulous.

Shortcut Pork Cassoulet

Ingredients

1 pound dried Great Northern beans
5 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
1 3 1/2-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound kielbasa, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced peeled carrots
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Place beans in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and soak beans 1 hour. Drain.
Return beans to pan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until beans are almost tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F. Cook bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, cook pork shoulder and kielbasa in pot until brown, about 8 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork and kielbasa to bowl with bacon.

Add onions, celery and carrots to pot. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; sauté 1 minute. Mix in broth, tomatoes with juices and tomato paste; bring to boil. Stir in meats from bowl, then drained beans. Return to boil. Cover pot. Transfer to oven; bake until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Maintain oven temperature.

Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beans and vegetables from pot to processor and purée. Return purée to pot. Stir in wine. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and refrigerate. Bring cassoulet to simmer before continuing.)

Smooth top of cassoulet. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan and oil in bowl. Sprinkle half of crumb mixture over cassoulet. Arrange bell pepper atop crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake cassoulet uncovered until pork and beans are very tender and topping is golden and crisp, about 45 minutes.
Garnish cassoulet with parsley.

Serving size 8 - 10.

This is not your typical dry roast turkey. Because you just cook the breast it is extremely moist (don't overcook it). I served this with little roasted red potatoes and roast carrots, and a salad.

Roasted Turkey Breast with Balsamic Glaze and Bell Pepper-Onion Saute

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 2-pound turkey breast half with bones
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
3 tablespoons drained capers

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on prepared sheet. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of turkey registers 170°F and juices run clear when pierced with fork, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase to 175°F).

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onion; sauté until tender and brown around edges, about 10 minutes. Add thyme; stir 2 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons vinegar and capers. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove bones from turkey. Thinly slice turkey crosswise. Transfer to platter and keep warm. Place baking sheet over 2 stove-top burners; add remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar to baking sheet and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour vinegar over turkey. Arrange bell pepper mixture around turkey and serve.

6 servings.

A couple of years ago Alex and I spent a few days in France. We were able to visit Paris for 3 days and then travelled by train to Le Havre to visit his Tante Margerite et Oncle Andre. Of course our favorite part of the trip was the food. We ate crepes for breakfast in Paris served from street carts; had wonderful filled baguettes for lunch; and bought fresh cheeses, fruit and bread for dinner. A bottle of wine rounded out the evening so perfectly.

In Le Havre Tante Margerite would walk down to the local bakery, before we were even out of bed, for fresh croissants. We had a 'lite' 4 course meal for lunch and a more substantial 5 course dinner later in the evening - it was all totally amazing. One of my favorite meals was a cheese souffle so of course I had to try making one when I arrived home.

Once again epicurious.com provided the perfect recipe. So easy! The first time I made it I cut the recipe in half for me and Alex. The next time I made it my in-laws were visiting so a full recipe was prepared. Both times the souffle came out successfully.

Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle

Grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 large egg whites

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Generously butter one 10-cup soufflé dish or six 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat. (If using 1 1/4-cup dishes, place all 6 on rimmed baking sheet.) Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, then wine. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix yolks, salt and pepper in small bowl. Add yolk mixture all at once to sauce and whisk quickly to blend. Fold in 1 1/4 cups Gruyère cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (cheeses do not need to melt). Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Transfer soufflé mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Gruyère cheese.

Place soufflé in oven; reduce heat to 375°F. Bake soufflé until puffed, golden and gently set in center, about 40 minutes for large soufflé (or 25 minutes for small soufflés). Using oven mitts, transfer soufflé to platter and serve immediately.

When we first found this recipe we made it all the time. It was so refreshing on a hot day and we had the lemon tree in the back yard dropping lemons by the dozen. This is a really light dessert for a summer dinner.

Lemon Buttermilk Sorbet

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
4 cups buttermilk

Stir sugar, lemon juice and peel in medium bowl. Add buttermilk; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, about 4 hours. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container with lid; freeze. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Thank you epicurious.com.

I love this for dinner on a cold winter's day. I know we don't get them that often here in Southern California but to me anything below 65 degrees is a cold winter's day. I found this recipe in an old cook book I had called "Low-Fat Ways to Lose Weight" by Cooking Light. Serve with quinoa or brown rice. Alex likes it with grated cheese and sour cream but that kind of defeats the purpose of a low-fat meal.

Lamb Chili with Black Beans

1 ½ lbs lean ground lamb
1 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 X 14oz cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 C dry red wine
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp grnd cumin
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 X 15oz cans black beans, drained
¼ tsp hot sauce
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until browned, breaking up lamb into crumbles. Drain in a colander and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel and return mixture to pan.

Add tomatoes and next 6 ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and hot sauce. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Spoon into bowls and garnish with cilantro.

8 X 1 cup servings

This was a great cake to end the St. Patrick's Day dinner I had prepared for friends. I served it with vanilla-whipped cream (1 C cream, 2 Tsp vanilla, 2 Tsp powder sugar). However, there are a couple of things that didn't quite turn out as well as expected.

First, all my raisins sank to the bottom half of the cake. I believe that by the time I had completed all the creaming of the butter/sugar, whipping the egg whites and folding them into the batter, more than 30 minutes had passed for the soaking of the raisins. Maybe they had soaked up more whiskey than intended and then settled during the baking time. Second, the cake took only 35 minutes to cook and even then was a little dark around the edges - probably 30 minutes would have been perfect. I don't know if this was a mistake in the recipe or if I did something wrong in the preparation.

Despite all this we really liked the cake and it was all gone by the end of the evening.

Irish Whiskey Cake
Arlyn Hackett via San Diego Union Tribune

1 C raisins
2/3 C plus ¼ C Irish whiskey (divided Use)
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
1 C unbleached all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
1½ Tsp baking soda
¼ Tsp salt
4 eggs, separated
1 C butter, room temperature
1 C brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small bowl, combine raisins, 2/3 cup whiskey and lemon and orange zest. Let stand 30 minutes.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir in the raisin/whiskey mixture. Mix well. Stir in the flour mixture.

When batter is well blended, fold in the egg-whites. Pour into a lightly oiled 9- or 10-inch round pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a tooth-pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and immediately puncture the top of the cake several times with a toothpick. Gently pour 2 Tbsp whiskey over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool and remove from the pan. Sprinkle another 2 Tbsp whiskey over the top of the cake.

Wrap the cake in plastic wrap until ready to serve. The cake may be served hot or cold and is best made a day ahead.