COOKING WITH CLORIS -- IRISH WHISKEY CAKE

With St. Patrick’s Day only days away, Cloris has an Irish Whiskey Cake to help you celebrate. Word of warning, though: This cake is for grown-ups only. -- AP

IRISH WHISKEY CAKE

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 shortening
1 cup milk
4 ounces whiskey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Butter and lightly flour a bundt pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1-1/4 cups of sugar, baking powder, salt, and dry pudding mix. Cream 1/2 stick butter and shortening together. Beat in 1 ounce of whiskey, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, beating at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Fold in nuts. Pour into bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes.

Melt together remaining butter, whiskey, and sugar. Spoon mixture over hot cake. Let cake sit in pan for 2 hours. Remove cake from pan and refrigerate.

Now that’s a cake for celebrating the Irish in all of us! Thanks, Cloris. Remember, readers, keep this cake away from the kids. -- AP