TheBanyanTree: THE HARVEY WALLBANGER CAKE

[Sharon Mack]

THE HARVEY WALLBANGER CAKE

Yes, there really is a cake called by this name.  When I saw it in one of my friend's recipes, I immediately wanted to try it.

We all belong to a dinner club.  There are five of us who get together once a month and share dinner.  Each person is responsible for one part of the dinner.  We take turns doing the various parts and we also take turns going to one another's homes changing the venue each month.  The only rule is that you have to use a recipe you've never made before.  Hence the reason we formed the club.  All of us were in the habit of collecting recipes.  We collected from friends and relatives, magazines, newspapers and even labels and boxes of various products that we used.  Once when we were talking about it, we discovered that we very seldom got to try these recipes.  Families, especially kids, want their favorites.  It gets pretty boring after 30 years of cooking. 

At our last meeting (on November 3rd) I was suppose to make the dessert.  The recipe is very simple but I needed to get Vodka and Galliano.  It calls for a scant ¼ cup of each.  Nips, you say.  Yesss, for the Vodka*all of 65 cents each for 2 of those (they are 1.8 oz., just short of the 2 oz. I needed.)

Galliano on the other hand doesn't make nips any longer (or so I was told).  The smallest bottle costs $15.00.  Hmmm!  The gentleman at the liquor store and I tried to think of a substitute, but none of us could put a finger on the flavor represented in the liquor.  I finally gave up and bought the damn bottle!  I was already committed to the dessert.  As I walked out, they jokingly said I could always bring the leftovers to them.  They'd be glad to take care of them.  I laughed!

When I got to work the next day I went onto the internet to find out about this Galliano, in case I ever needed a substitute again.  This is what I found:

GALLIANO

Among the many ingredients in Galliano are star anise from China , Mediterranean anise, juniper, musk yarrow, ginger, lavender and peppermint as well as vanilla with its delicate aroma and cinnamon with its spicy touch. Vanilla is the most important ingredient in Galliano. Neutral alcohol is infused with the pressings from all herbs and plants with exception of vanilla. The liquid is distilled and then infused with pressed vanilla. In the final stage distilled water, refined sugar and pure neutral alcohol are blended with the base. 30% alcohol by volume, Galliano possesses a unique, complex, intense, yet mellow aroma. When drunk, a full smooth flavor fills the mouth. The fresh aniseed flavors balance the sweet vanilla ones.

So, there is no substitute!  None that I can find anyway.

Since I had the bottle, I made two cakes.  On the night of the dinner, I stopped by the liquor store and dropped one of them off.  The open mouths and utter delight on their faces was thanks enough.

P.S.  I found that when eating the cake it is complimented by sipping Galliano with it.  Mmmm!  We (me and the cake) were the highlight of the night!  

Okay, okay, the cake was the highlight!  Geesh!