scotch whisky cake

Studded with raisins and walnuts, filled with bitter orange marmalade that balances the sweetness of the cake, and covered with a razor-tart lemon icing, this is a cake for grown-up tastes. For a distinctive flavor, be sure to use a good, smoky Scotch.

MAKES AN 8-INCH TRIPLE-LAYER CAKE; SERVES 12 TO 16

• 1 ½ cups walnut pieces
• 2 cups dark raisins, or a mix of dark and golden
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground mace
• ⅓ cup Scotch whisky
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups orange marmalade
• Tart Lemon Icing (page 146)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet for 7 to 10 minutes. Allow them to cool and chop them into small pieces with a large knife or by pulsing in a food processor. (If you use a processor, be careful not to grind the nuts to a paste.)
3. While the nuts are toasting, with a large sharp knife, coarsely chop the raisins. Place them in a small saucepan and add just enough water to barely cover them. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let stand until plumped. Drain the raisins, reserving ⅓ cup of the liquid; let cool completely.
4. Sift the flour, baking soda, and mace into a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the Scotch, lemon juice, and reserved raisin liquid.
5. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl well between additions and beating only enough to incorporate the eggs. Add the dry ingredients and liquid alternately to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Be careful not to overmix. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.
6. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester or a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks and carefully peel off the paper liners. Let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
7. To assemble the cake, put one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about ½ cup of the orange marmalade evenly over the cake, leaving a ¼-inch margin around the edges. Repeat this with the second layer. Top with the third layer and spread the marmalade to the very edge of the layer. Finally, ice the sides of the cake with a thin coating of Tart Lemon Icing. With a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, pipe a lattice of icing over the marmalade on the top.