“This came from my sister’s mother-in-law many, many years ago and has been handed down over the years. It’s not only a great dessert, it also makes a wonderful gift at Christmastime.”  – Especially if you make it in a mini bunt pan.  Perfect hostess gift!  I add cream cheese frosting because I like cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients – Cake:

• 1  box yellow cake mix (I used pecan cake mix)
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c oil
• 3/4 c whole milk or 3/4 c 2% low-fat milk
• 1  3/4  fluid oz whiskey
• 1 c pecans or 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Ingredients – Icing:

• 1/2 c butter, melted
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c whiskey

Directions – Cake:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix for 3 minutes by hand.
2. Pour into well-greased bundt pan.
3. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Toothpick should come out clean.
4. Leave the cake in the pan.
5. Using a long toothpick or skewer , poke several holes into cake.

Directions – Icing:

1. Combine sugar, whiskey, and butter in small sauce pan.
2. Cook on stovetop on medium.
3. Heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is brown.
4. Pour 3/4 of icing onto cake.
5. Let set 15 minutes.
6. Flip cake onto plate.
7. Brush remaining icing onto top& sides of cake.

Serves: 8 – 10

Source:  Cookin Katie

Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting was originally from a Bon Appetit  but has been tweaked a bit by Margie and Ginger.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
• 10 tbsp (1¼ sticks) butter, room temp.
• ¼ c spiced rum (or, in this case, whiskey)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 4½  c (1 lb) powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Beat in rum and vanilla.
3. Add powdered sugar (best to do in three additions, beating just until frosting is smooth after each addition; if you overbeat the frosting will become too soft to spread).

Source:  Bon Appetit, 10/2007