If you are entertaining this St. Patrick’s Day, or enjoying the day at home with loved ones, this exquisite piece of Irish tradition will be welcomed by all. This straightforward recipe was found at the excellent recipe blog A Spoonful Of Thyme.

What you’ll need:

For the cake part
1 cup golden raisins
1 ½ cup water
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp nutmeg
¾ tsp cloves
Dash allspice
½ tsp salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup chopped walnuts, reserve some halves for decoration
¼ cup Jameson Irish Whiskey

Jameson Irish Whiskey Icing
4 Tbsp unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, at room temperature
3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup Jameson Irish Whiskey

Garnish
Walnut halves

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Butter two 8-inch cake pans. Line them with parchment and butter them again (very important).

3. Combine the raisins and water in a small saucepan. Bring them to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid begins to thicken. Drain the raisons, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid. Set the raisons and the saved liquid aside to cool.

4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.

5. In a different bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is smooth, then fold in the flour mixture, a little at a time, along with the reserved liquid. Stir in the raisins, whiskey, and walnuts.

6. Pour the mixture evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the pans onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper and set the cakes right side up. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the Icing

In the mixing bowl, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add the egg and the whiskey and beat again until smooth. Use a spatula to spread about a third of the icing onto the top of one of the cooled cakes. Place the second, un-iced layer on top and spread the remaining icing onto the top and sides of the cake. Don’t worry about spreading the icing perfectly – it’s a whiskey cake, not a wedding cake. Garnish with walnut halves, if desired (it’s traditional). Let the icing set for 15-20 minutes before serving the cake.