Photo by RUDY LIWANAG

By now, a lot of us are already thinking of what to prepare as giveaways this Christmas. We are quite sure that liqueur cakes are on every baker’s list, either to give their loved ones or to sell. We have compiled a lot of questions on liqueur cakes, and here they are.

Q: For liqueur cakes, aside from rum and orange liqueur, what other liqueur can I use? Why is it that I have to add the liqueur off heat? Thank you in advance. (Joy Villena of Makati)

Adoree: Hi, Joy. Thank you so much for your question. You can use other liqueurs like amaretto, coffee liqueur like Bailey’s, and even brandy. We are very fortunate that nowadays there are a lot of new flavored liqueurs available in specialty stores which can be used in baking. There are a lot of fruit-flavored liqueurs which will go well with butter cake which in turn are perfect with a cup of coffee.

You are correct in saying liqueurs are added into the syrup off heat. This is done so that the alcohol in them does not disintegrate and give off an aftertaste. Since it is a liqueur cake, you want the flavors of the alcohol you used present.

Jun Jun: That’s true; there are so many kinds of liqueur in the market today. Some were not even in existence when I was in culinary school. Try to use flavors that are common and not to foreign for whoever you are making it for. Anything with alcohol will evaporate when added to any liquid that is warm or hot so make sure to add the alcohol only when the main mixture is cold.

I love liqueur cakes with ice cream.

Q: In making rum cake, is it alright to use pure rum instead of making syrup that is flavored with rum? (Kimi Galvez of Quezon City)

Adoree: I think that you want to make a rum cake patterned after a fruitcake, which is laced with brandy. I think it would be okay to lace your rum cake with pure rum. However, just like fruitcake, you need to age the cake for some time before consuming it. 

Jun Jun: The use of pure rum is very Italian, that’s the way they flavor most of their cakes, very straightforward. I still suggest making syrup. Sometimes using pure rum might make the cake too strong for people. If you want to use pure rum, just add a little. 

The syrup is absorbed by the cake much easier as well. I usually brush the syrup warm into a warm cake. 

Q: My question is about my rum cake. My cake turned too soggy to be wrapped and packaged. Is this normal? Is there something I can do to avoid this from happening? Thank you very much. (Jen Capilin of Taguig)

Adoree: Jen, be sure to cool the cake properly. You need to transfer the cake to a cake rack to cool completely. Wrapping the cake while it is still hot or warm will cause it to form moisture thus it will turn soggy. Also, adding too much syrup will make the cake soggy.  Just lace or brush enough syrup to make the cake moist; do not soak the cake in syrup.

Jun Jun: You could have added too much syrup or you must have brushed the cake while it was too warm.  Be very careful when you do this, it’s such a waste to throw out a whole cake. 

Q: Hi, Jun Jun and Adoree.  I love orange liqueur cake; I love its buttery and moist texture. My problem is that my parents are not fond of alcohol. What can I do to make orange liqueur cake without the “bold” flavor of orange liqueur, is that even possible? Why the need to use alcohol in cake anyway? (Tintin Avera of Pasay City)

Adoree: Tintin, you can add some orange zest in the cake batter instead, just enough to give a hint of orange flavor. You may also opt to add just a little orange liqueur in the cake; the cake will be baked anyway so the alcohol in it will evaporate. For the syrup, you may also use orange juice instead of orange liqueur. 

The presence of liqueur in the syrup cuts the sweetness, so I have to warn you that your cake will turn out on the sweet side without the liqueur. Alcohol also acts as a preservative. This gives liqueur cakes a longer shelf life than regular cakes.

Jun Jun:  Adoree is right; you can omit the liqueur in the recipe. But the liqueur enhances the taste and gives your dessert more richness and tartness. 

Q: Can you please share some ideas on how I can make my rum cake extra special and different from others? Thank you and more power to both of you. (Aileen Jacinto of San Juan)

Adoree: You can bake your rum cake in special pans like the Bundt pan.  There is now a wide array of designs for Bundt pans and they even come in different sizes. You may also decorate the top with nuts or some dried fruits.  Drizzling some glaze on top of it will also give your cake an edge.

Jun Jun: The Bundt pan is a bit too common now. You can use new figured pans, but there are some people who still like the regular type of pans, since the classics always give us comfort. It’s a nice holiday touch to put glazed or dried fruits as well as nuts on top and in the cake batter.

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