5 Delicious Ways to Make Your Desserts With Liquor

Have you ever tried the desserts with liquor recipe? Often times, parties are BYOB: Bring Your Own Bottle. When this is the case, the host is usually left with a variety of leftover liquor. That is unless Karen wants to take back her Smirnoff Ice, of course.

If you’re said host, you may want to do something else with those bottles besides drinking it. Turn your leftover party drinks into fun desserts over the next couple of weeks! I’ve collected a few of my favorite recipes that are quick, easy, and delicious.

5 Delicious Ways to Make Your Desserts With Liquor

Here are 5 recipes of desserts with liquor that you can enjoy:

1. Rum Cake

Rum cake is a traditional Caribbean dessert. Many cultures are known to have their own version of the recipe from Jamaicans to Cubans. My favorite part about this recipe is how moist and juicy the cake is without making you sick. 

Common Party Rums

You can use any of these leftover rums in our dessert:

• Bacardi
• Havana Club
• Captain Morgan

Recipe

Ultimately, rum cakes are sponge bundt cakes soaked in rum made mostly in holiday seasons. I like to make it at least twice a year using Avery Cooks’ rum cake recipe. It has several steps and ingredients, so be sure you’re not in a hurry to get this done.

Tools

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Bundt Pan, 12-cup
• Medium Saucepan
• Mixing Bowls
• Cake Mixer
• Floured Cooking Spray

Ingredients

This is a two-part recipe, as Averie adapted it from two other recipes. Below you will find the instructions as I made my cake.

Part One - Cake:

• one 18.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
• one 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 large eggs
• ½  cup of water
• ½  cup of canola or vegetable oil
• ½ cup of dark rum (I used Bacardi Gold Rum)
• 2 - 3 teaspoons vanilla or coconut extract (I used vanilla)

Part Two - Rum Sauce:

• ¾ cup of unsalted butter (1½ sticks)
• 1½ cups of granulated sugar
• ¼ cup of water
• ¼ tsp of kosher salt
• ½ cup of dark rum (I used Bacardi)

Cake Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan very well with floured cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, rum, extract of your choice, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on high power until smooth and combined for about 2 minutes.
3. Turn batter out into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. The batter is thin, but the cake rises dramatically while baking.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs.
5. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack or cool surface.

Rum Sauce Instructions

CAUTION: the mixture is insanely hot and flammable. You’re going to be whisking the entire time, so be focused and take small children out of the kitchen during this time.

1. When the cake has about 10 to 15 minutes left to bake, start making the rum sauce.
2. In a medium high-sided saucepan, add the butter and heat over medium heat to melt.
3. Add the sugar, water, and bring to a boil over medium-high/high heat. Allow mixture to boil rapidly for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Whisk constantly so it doesn’t burn. The mixture should be white, frothy, and fluffy-looking.
5. Remove pan from the heat, and using extreme caution, add the rum while whisking -- the sauce will bubble up vigorously when the rum is added.
6. Return pan to the heat for 1 minute; whisk constantly. This helps cook off some of the ‘raw’ alcohol taste.
7. Transfer the sauce to a medium sized mixing bowl (or 2-cup glass measuring cup if you have one).

Final Instructions

1. With a fork, poke holes with a fork all over the top surface of the cake (which becomes the bottom when inverted and cake is removed from the pan).
2. Slowly pour about 1 cup sauce over the surface, taking your time so that the sauce soaks in; set remaining 1 cup sauce aside.
3. Allow cake to rest for about 1 hour to absorb the sauce.
4. Invert the cake onto a cake stand or serving platter and poke the cake with a fork again, over the top and some on the sides.
5. Slowly and carefully pour the remaining sauce into the holes and sort of ‘press’ it in with a spatula, and repeat. It will pool around the   of the cake stand - that’s totally fine (Pro Tip: If the sauce has crystallized, just whisk it a minute before adding it to the cake)
6. ​Allow cake to rest for about 1 to 2 hours to absorb sauce before slicing and serving.

This Rum cake recipe will serve a nice party of people and take up to 3 hours to complete, once you factor in the cooling of the cake. Averie Cooks actually recommend to let the rum cake sit for a while - days even - to really get the best flavor. To store the cake, do not refrigerate! Simply wrap it airtight at room temp for up to 10 days.

2. Chocolate Wine Pudding

Chocolate pudding is America’s favorite. Think about it, most of us have been eating this since we were toddlers. As an adult, I have found a recipe by Beyond Frosting that has elevated my favorite go-to dessert.

Common Party Red Wines

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir

Recipe

The Cabernet Chocolate Pudding recipe by Beyond Frosting is rich and deep in flavor. Personally, this is my guilty pleasure. And I treat myself to it frequently.

Tools

• Medium Saucepan
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Fine Strainer / Sieve
• Containers for the Pudding
• Saran Wrap

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tbsp of All-Purpose Flour
• Dash of Salt
• 1 cup of Whole Milk
• ¾ cup of Cabernet Sauvignon, or other red wine
• 6 oz of Dark Chocolate, chopped
• Cool Whip for topping (optional)
• Raspberries for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the dry ingredients and whisk over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
2. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk the dry ingredients into the milk. Dig into the bottom and the sides of your pans to pick up any flour that might be sticking. Then add the red wine. I used a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon from a gift box I received.
3. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to bubble and thickens.
4. Slowly add the chocolate, whisking into the pudding until it has melted.
5. Once the pudding starts to boil, cook for another 30 seconds then remove from heat.
6. Immediately strain the pudding through a fine sieve. Rinse the sieve and repeat one more time and pour the pudding into the mixing bowl.
7. Immediately cover the top of the pudding with clear plastic wrap (directly on the surface of the pudding) and poke a few holes with a toothpick.
8. Allow it to cool on the counter for at least 1 hour or until cool to the touch. Then refrigerate for 2 hours until it’s firmed up.
9. Serve with fresh whipped cream and berries.

This pudding recipe serves 4 and will take about 3hrs 15min to fully put it together. I found that in order to enjoy all the flavors this recipe has to give, is best to stick to the original recipe.

3. Bourbon Pecan Pie

If all the pies in the world disappeared, I would mourn pecan pies the most. They have such a sweet flavor with a nice crunchy bite, giving it texture and body. By adding liquor, even if just a splash, you’re complimenting the smokiness of the pecans. Making your dessert experience the better.

Common Party Bourbons

• Maker’s Mark
• Jim Bean
• Angel’s Envy

Recipe

Kitchen Stories has a decadent Chocolate Pecan Pie that incorporates Bourbon whiskey. Making this a grown-pie. Don’t mind if do!

Tools

• 9-inch Pie Pan
• Small Saucepan
• Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp of butter, melted
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• ¾ Cup of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• ¾ Cup of dark corn syrup
• 3 tbsp of bourbon liquor
• 1½ Cups of pecan halves
• ½ Cup of milk chocolate chips
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
3. In a medium bowl, add beaten eggs. Stir in brown sugar, flour, vanilla, corn syrup, and bourbon until combined. I used Jim Bean for this one. Add melted butter.
4. Mix in the pecans and chocolate chips until combined.
5. Pour mixture into pie shell.
6. Place shell on a sheet tray and bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

This recipe has 8 servings and will take you about 1hr 15min to complete. Top a slice with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream and you have perfection.

4. Champagne Cupcakes

Cupcakes are portable cakes, let's be honest. It’s the most convenient dessert and we love it. If you really want to get fancy, take out your leftover Champagne and use this Delish recipe.

Delish makes some of my favorite recipes, and recently I came across their Champagne Cupcakes and fell in love. Be sure to check it out as they have a super simple video to walk you through it. 

Common Party Sparkling Wines

• Prosecco
• Veuve Cliquot
• Martini & Rossi

Recipe

For this recipe, you can use either Champagne or Sparkling wine, like Prosecco. The highlight of this recipe is that is flexible, so you won’t have to be picky with your leftovers.

Tools

• Cupcake Pan
• Cupcake Liners
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Hand mixer
• Piping Bag or Ziplock bag

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• 1 ¾ cup of Champagne (or Prosecco), divided into 1½ and ¼
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter softened
• 4 cups of powdered sugar
• ½  tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• Sanding sugar, for garnish (Optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix cake mix with 1½ cups Champagne; bake according to package directions and let cool completely before frosting.
3. Meanwhile, make the Champagne frosting.
4. In a large bowl, combine the butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and remaining champagne; using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.
5. Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
   (Pro Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, simply fill a ziplock bag with the frosting, and cut off the tip to the desired size. I did this and mine looked just as good!)
6. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with colored sanding sugar.

This recipe makes 18 cupcakes and will take about 45 minutes to complete. I replicated this birthday for my friend’s birthday and used some of my Jordan Cuvée. It was a hit!

5. Drunken Milkshakes

During the summer, this is such a fun dessert - you can even make it for your next party! You need very little ingredients and a blender to get it going. My favorite drunken milkshake is inspired by That’s So Michelle’s Birthday Cake Oreo’s Boozy Milkshake.

Common Party Vodkas

• Grey Goose
• Tito’s Handmade
• Smirnoff

Recipe

I actually have tried That’s So Michelle’s recipe, but I’m a bigger fan of cookies-n-cream milkshakes. I went ahead and tailored her recipe a bit for myself, so I will be giving you my recipe instead. The best part about this simple treat is that you can tailor it to your liking, as I did. If you don't like the toppings, switch it up - have fun with it! 

Tools

• Blender
• Tall Glass

Ingredients

• 4 Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
• 4 - 6 crumbled Oreos
• 2 shots of Milk
• 1 shot of Original / Flavored Vodka
• Whipped Cream

Instructions

1. Add your ice cream, milk, vodka and 4 crumbled Oreo’s to a blender. I used Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
2. Blend or pulse until smooth and serve immediately in a tall glass.
3. Top with whipped cream and about 2 crumbled Oreos. Add a straw and voila!

This drunken milkshake serves a party of one and won’t take you more than 15 minutes to complete. Enjoy!

All of these recipes are delicious with or without liquor (especially the Oreo Milkshake). However, if you already have it laying around, put it to use! Just be sure to eat and drink responsibly.