Italian Hangover Cake Recipe: A Traditional Treat

We’ve all been there. After a wild night of partying and drinking, you realize that you just can’t function the next morning. You’ll find that keeping a bottle of Alka Seltzer close to your bed is a good idea, and next to that, you might want to have an Italian hangover cake recipe. 

This recipe for Italian hangover cake has everything you want. It’s fluffy and light, and the secret ingredient is rum. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients 
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage and reheating
• Tips
• Italian Hangover Cake Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients 

• All-purpose flour — 1 cup.
• Baking powder — 1 tbsp.
• Vanilla extract — 1 tbsp.
• Egg — 2 large.
• Salt — ⅓ tbsp.
• Butter — 3 tbsp.
• Sugar — ½ cup.
• Ground ginger — 1 ½ tbsp.
• Greek yogurt — ¼ cup.

Caramel sauce

• Butter — Unsalted, 3 tbsp.
• Brown sugar — ⅓ cup.
• Rum — 2 tbsp.
• Bananas — 2 large.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a Bundt pan.

2. For the topping, add butter and sugar into a saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves.

3. Then, remove the mixture from the heat and add the rum. Mix well until combined. 

4. Pour the caramel sauce into the base of your Bundt pan.

5. For the batter, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger in a mixing bowl. Set aside. 

6. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, Greek yogurt, butter, and vanilla extract; until combined.

7. Combine with the dry butter and mix well.

8. Peel and slice the bananas. Place them on top of the caramel sauce in the Bundt pan.

9. Transfer the batter to cover the sauce/banana mixture.

10. Bake for half an hour.

11. Let it cool for a minute or two before serving.

Substitutions

• Baking powder or baking soda? — These two pantry staples have their differences, and your choice will play an important role in your bread, cookie, muffin, or cake; especially on their texture. Let’s just say that when it comes to baking a cake, baking powder is the correct option.

• Greek yogurt — As if it wasn’t already delicious, Greek yogurt is also pretty useful for baking! It will help keep your Italian hangover cake moist, and thanks to its acidic nature, it will also give it a good lift. Other substitutes could include cottage cheese, once again, sour cream, buttermilk or cream cheese.

• Vanilla extract — This one will provide your Italian hangover cake with another layer of flavor, thanks to its unique aroma. Maple syrup and honey would both make a good substitution for vanilla extract if you prefer their sweetness instead of a deep vanilla taste. Almond extract is another good choice, but keep in mind that its taste is even stronger than vanilla extract. 

Variations

• Dairy-free — If you’re lactose intolerant or just experiencing digestive issues, you might want to exclude dairy products from your diet. You can start with replacing butter with vegan butter, coconut oil, and even olive oil. Dairy-free yogurts can be a good substitute for Greek yogurt, or, if you’re feeling bold, go for coconut cream.

• Gluten-free —Gluten-free diets are becoming more and more popular these days, and not only for those with medical issues. This Italian hangover cake recipe comes with a gluten-free version. All you have to do is swap all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative such as almond flour, buckwheat flour, or rice flour. 

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups.

• Medium sized mixing bowl. 

• Bundt cake pan. 

• Electric handheld mixer. 

• Medium-sized saucepan. 

Storage and reheating

• You can store leftovers in your fridge in an airtight container, for up to a week.

• You can easily reheat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.

Tips

• Use cold eggs — We recommend using cold eggs, straight out of the fridge. This way, the eggs will work better as a binder and prevent the dough from spreading.

• Need more booze? — As ironic as this might sound, our recipe for Italian hangover cake could be made with more liquor, with only a few splashes of Grand Marnier. Just decrease the amount of Greek yogurt.