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I grew up in Wisconsin, where everyone drinks beer and brandy old fashioneds. This old fashioned cake is an ode to good old WI, featuring a brandy cake, a cherry glaze, and an orange buttercream frosting. If you're from WI, it'll give you a taste of home, and if you're from somewhere else, it'll show you what Wisconsinites are all about.
About
Did you know that folks from Wisconsin drink 50% of the world's brandy? I can guarantee most of that goes in the state's signature drink, the brandy old fashioned (side note- I wouldn't be surprised if my family and friends alone make up a good chunk of that 50%).
Just like whiskey old fashioneds in the rest of the country, the drink features dark liquor, a bit of water or lemon-lime soda, a splash of bitters, a maraschino cherry, and an orange peel. Edible Milwaukee gives a great account of how the Wisconsin Old Fashioned came to be- find it here!
If you haven't had it before, brandy lends a sweetness that you won't find in whiskey.
As a play on the classic old fashioned flavors, I've made this cake for all my fellow Wisconsinites, those who love a good old fashioned, and anyone who wants a delicious, fun cake.
It's super fun, super tasty, and always makes me a bit nostalgic for home.
Star Ingredients
Brandy
Brandy is a brown liquor that has a distinct sweetness to it. In this recipe, all the alcohol is included in the cake, and is therefore cooked out to just leave a subtle brandy flavor in a super moist cake. Note that you can replace this with bourbon or whiskey if you choose, and make a "traditional" old fashioned cocktail cake!
Buttermilk
If you've made my chocolate cake, you may recognize that buttermilk is a favorite of mine in cakes. It always results in an incredibly moist and flavorful cake.
Buttermilk is inherently acidic, so it tenderizes the cake, and also activates the baking soda to leaven the cake beautifully.
Buttermilk Substitutions
You can substitute a few things for buttermilk if you don't have any on hand. However, remember that the texture and flavor of the cake will vary slightly with each of these substitutions!
- Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Once it looks curdled, it's ready!
- Add milk to yogurt or sour cream until it is a pourable consistency.
Orange Zest and Juice
The frosting of this cake calls for both orange zest and orange juice. The orange juice gives some additional sweetness and acidity to the frosting to complement the powdered sugar, but the orange zest is really the star here.
The zest is rather strong (as you would expect from a fragrant old fashioned cocktail), so if you're not a fan, add it in slowly and taste-test as you go. I'll tell you- the frosting may seem too "zesty" on it's own, but I think it pairs wonderfully with the sweet cake.
Maraschino Cherry Juice
A maraschino cherry finishes every old fashioned cocktail, and is the cherry on top to this cake. Maraschino cherry juice glazes the top of the cake to add moistness and just a hint of cherry to the finished product.
Additionally, I highly suggest adding a maraschino cherry on top of each piece of cake while serving. It gives a pop of flavor, acidity, and sweetness that goes wonderfully with the rest of the cake!
Detailed Instructions
Prep.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or cooking spray.
Make the batter.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium-speed. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, otherwise it won't cream together well! If you forgot to take it out of the fridge, here's a tip on how to soften the butter quickly: put it on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave for 7 seconds. Rotate the butter onto another side, and microwave for another 7 seconds. Continue until the butter is soft, usually after 3-4 turns.
- Add eggs and egg yolks into the butter and sugar mixture. Again, make sure the eggs are at room temperature! You can warm up eggs quickly by putting them in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes before cracking them open.
- Combine the brandy, buttermilk, and vanilla in a bowl.
- To my fellow Wisconsinites- I know you're tempted to drink this mixture, because we are taught to drink anything with brandy in it. Trust me on this one- don't drink this. It won't taste good.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure you sift it together! This will help ensure there aren't clumps of flour in the final batter.
- Alternate adding in the liquid ingredients and the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, in 3 installments, until fully combined. Do not overmix. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Overmixing will result in a less tender cake! Don't do it!
Bake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13 pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- Cool until just a bit warm to the touch, then glaze.
Glaze.
- Brush or spoon maraschino cherry juice over the warm cake. It seems like a lot of cherry juice, but it needs this much to stand up to the cake and frosting!
- Let the cake sit until fully cooled.
Make the frosting.
- Ensure butter is room temperature, and add to bowl. Sift in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing to combine between each addition. Sifting is super necessary here, otherwise you'll have clumps in your frosting!
- Add in orange juice and orange zest until fully combined.
Frost the cake.
- Once cake is fully cooled, spoon and spread frosting over the cake evenly.
- Serve within 2 hours, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving.
Notes
Make it ahead of time: You can make this up to 2 days in advance! Store in the refrigerator, then remove from fridge 2 hours before serving.
Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Other ways to make this recipe: Substitute away! This recipe is super versatile. Substitute the brandy for whiskey or bourbon for a "traditional" old fashioned cake. If you're feeling adventurous, try different juices or citrus in the glaze and frosting to experiment with different flavors.
When to make this recipe: Delicious at all times of year, but especially try making this in the fall, as dark liquor tastes particularly full and flavorful on a chilly fall night.
Other Recipes You'll Love:
Brandy Old Fashioned Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup brandy room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Glaze
- 3 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
Frosting
- 1 cup butter unsalted, 2 sticks
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
Prep.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Grease a 9x13 pan.
Make the batter.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium-speed.
- Add eggs and egg yolks into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Combine the brandy, buttermilk, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate adding in the liquid ingredients and the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, in 3 installments, until fully combined. Do not overmix. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Bake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9x13 pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- Cool until just a bit warm to the touch, then glaze.
Glaze.
- Brush or spoon maraschino cherry juice over the warm cake.
- Let the cake sit until fully cooled.
Make the frosting.
- Ensure butter is room temperature, and add to bowl. Sift in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing to combine between each addition.
- Add in orange juice and orange zest until fully combined.
Frost the cake.
- Once cake is fully cooled, spoon and spread frosting over the cake evenly.
- Serve within 2 hours, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving.
Nutrition
Did you make this brandy old fashioned cake? I want to know! Post it on social media, tag @battersandblessings, and add #battersandblessings so I can see your creation 🙂
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