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Best Sherry Cake….Ever!

There really is nothing like a glass of sherry especially after a hard days work. I know it isn’t to everyone’s taste but I do have a real fondness for it. Usually when I am cooking I’ll have a spatula or wooden spoon in one hand and a large glass of sherry in the other.

Not only is sherry a lovely tipple but its also great for cooking! Harveys Bristol Cream is an essential ingredient and star of the show in my mom’s famous trifle. A generous splash of Amontillado to sautéing onions and garlic will add a lovely flavour to sauces and soups.

NOTE: I have never ever used cooking sherry and wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole. Generally cooking sherry has a lot of salt added to it and it is definitely not something you would want a glass of. For most of my cooking I use a leading UK supermarket brand of Amontillado sherry which is slightly drier and less sweet. It’s lovely to drink and cook with and not that expensive. If you are going to cook with sherry then it is worth it to get the real deal.

I thought I had experienced all that sherry had to offer when my cousin surprised me with her Grandmother’s recipe for sherry cake.

My original plan was to make this cake to celebrate the Royal Wedding but my husband and I ended up using most of the bottle to toast the happy couple (which wasn’t such a bad thing after all). Anyway the drinks cabinet has now been replenished and I was finally was able to make this amazing cake. Trust me this is a winner!

Here is the recipe courtesy of my lovely cousin (and her Grandmother!)

Grandma Reid’s Sherry Cake

Ingredients

4 room temperature eggs (you can put them in a bowl of warm water to warm them up if you don’t have time to let them sit out)

3/4 cup salad oil (my cousin uses canola while I used olive oil)

3/4 cup sherry (my cousin uses Harveys Bristol Cream while I used my favourite Amontillado)

1 package yellow cake mix (I used a Madeira cake mix)

1 package instant vanilla pudding (my sister brought me some Jell-O Instant Pudding from Canada. In the UK I think Angel Delight would work although I don’t think they have vanilla but banana or butterscotch would work well. Size wise the Jell-O is 102g which is what you would need for the recipe) Don’t mix up the pudding. Just add it straight to the bowl!

1 Tbs ground nutmeg

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup sherry

1 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl with a wire whisk beat together the eggs, oil and sherry

Gradually mix in the cake mix, pudding mix and 1 Tbs ground nutmeg

NOTE: I was told electric mixers are a no no – good old fashioned muscle is what’s needed. Also as there may be lumps in the cake mix it’s a good idea to use a sifter

Place the batter in a well greased tube or Bundt pan (a pan that is round, deep with hole in the middle)

Bake for 45 minutes

Remove from pan immediately

Mix together the glaze ingredients with a whisk

Allow the cake to cool cake for 10 minutes and place on large plate or large chopping board covered with aluminium / tin foil

Spread glaze on top of cake. It will melt and run down sides in a lovely gooey mess

Cool completely, cut and eat cold

Enjoy!

3 Responses to “Best Sherry Cake….Ever!”

  1. […] mix) 1 package instant vanilla pudding (I still haven’t tried using Angel Delight (see my ‘Best Sherry Cake Ever!‘ post) Fortunately my sister arrived with several packs of my favourite Vanilla Jell-O […]

  2. Averil says:

    Hi, Just attempting to do your Sherry Cake Recipe. Is sponge cake mixture okay & does it take less time to bake.

    The recipe looks great…thanks you.

    bfn. Averil

  3. Luna says:

    Hi Averil, I am delighted you’re making the sherry cake – sponge cake mixture is perfectly fine. I have used a few different cake mixes for this cake including gluten-free and white sponge. They have all worked really well, I just cook the cake according to the package directions – just keep an eye on it.

    Let me know how you get on and of course I’d love to know what you think of the cake!

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