Irish Whiskey Free Cake (Printable)

A moist Irish cake flavored with cinnamon, golden raisins, walnuts, and orange zest; easy and alcohol-free.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 cup buttermilk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

→ Flavor & Add-Ins

12 - ½ cup golden raisins
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts
14 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
04 - Stir buttermilk, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and orange zest into the butter mixture until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold in golden raisins and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or with whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk creates the most tender crumb youve ever tasted, almost like a cloud.
  • Golden raisins plump up beautifully during baking, offering little bursts of sweetness in every bite.
  • This cake actually gets better on day two, if you can manage to save any.
02 -
  • Dont overmix the batter or the cake will become tough instead of tender.
  • Room temperature ingredients combine more smoothly and create a better texture.
  • The vinegar might seem strange but it reacts with the baking soda for extra lift.
03 -
  • Grate your orange zest directly into the sugar to distribute the essential oils evenly.
  • If you dont have buttermilk, mix one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for five minutes.

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