Absinthe Cake
Finally, I’ve gotten around to blogging this cake recipe… It’s been a hit all 3 times I’ve made it now and the mellow anise seed flavour is a real talking point. Just don’t drive after a slice or two of this bad boy. You have been warned!
Cake:
1 1/4 teaspoons Anise seeds
175g Extra fine sponge flour
65g Ground Almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
105g unsalted butter
200g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
60ml full fat milk
60ml Absinthe
1 orange, preferably unsprayed
Glaze:
25g granulated sugar
60ml Absinthe
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 175 C. Grease and line a 9 inch loaf tin or 23cm sandwich tin
2. Grind the Anise seeds in a mortar and pestle, or if you’re lazy like me add them to a coffee grinder and pulse for 10 secs or until fine
3. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until they’re completely incorporated. Add the spoonful of the flour to stop the mixture separating.
4. Mix together the milk, absinthe and some fine orange zest.
5. Stir in half of the dry ingredients and the milk mixture.
6. By hand, stir in the remainder of the dry ingredients until just smooth. Avoid over mixing the batter. Smooth into the sandwich or loaf tin and bake for 40 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 mins.
8. To glaze, add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl and gently stir together until just mixed. Be careful not to dissolve the sugar too much. Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the parchment. Set the cake on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Poke approx 50 holes in the top of the cake and generously spoon over the glaze mixture.
You can stack two of these cakes for a real showstopper! Use a buttercream filling with a drop of Absinthe or Cointreau to bring out the anise seed and orange notes.
