Harvey Wallbanger Cake is a retro classic! The tender orange cake is infused with vodka and Galliano, and topped off with a simple powdered sugar glaze.
“I made this for my 30th birthday! It was a milestone. Hot out of the oven, it knocked you on your ear! SO good! I’m 81. Time to make another!” -Ginny
“My mom used to make that cake back in the 70s. It’s delicious!” -Kim
“My Dad made this cake a lot. It was the only thing he ever cooked. He gave out the recipe everywhere. He especially enjoyed taking it to the socials at his Southern Baptist church. The pastor would ask for it!” -Michael
“My Mom sent me a Harvey Wallbanger Cake for my birthday every year, one year it followed me around the Med for two months. It was pretty aged and could smell the Galliano as soon as the tin cover was removed. It was gone 60 seconds.” -Don
You all have the best memories to share about food! I loved posting this one on Facebook and hearing what readers had to say.
When I tried it for myself, I was pleasantly surprised at how moist and tender the cake was. I wouldn’t call it overwhelmingly boozy. It’s more subtle, with a hint of anise flavor. It’s one of those cakes where you think, “what IS that?” but then you keep eating it because it doesn’t matter, it’s just so good. 🙂
Jump to:
What You’ll Need
- The hardest part of this cake is procuring the Galliano! It wasn’t at my local grocery store or corner liquor store, so I headed to a larger beverage store (Binny’s in Chicago), and they had two sizes of it.
- Many recipes for this cake call for an orange cake mix. That’s really hard to find now, so this recipe uses yellow cake mix + orange juice. It works perfectly.
How to Make Harvey Wallbanger Cake
- Place the cake mix, instant pudding mix, vegetable oil, eggs, vodka, galliano, and orange juice) in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer for three minutes.
- Pour into a greased bundt pan.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, galliano, vodka, and orange juice together to form a glaze, and pour over the warm cake.
What is Galliano?
Galliano is an Italian herbal liqueur with notes of anise, vanilla, and citrus. It’s made with over 30 herbs and spices, and it’s made in Italy.
Galliano is most commonly used in cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger (½ ounce Galliano, 1½ ounces vodka, 4 ounces orange juice) and the Golden Cadillac.
Harvey Wallbanger is not an actual person, but instead a marketing mascot (a male surfer) used to market Galliano. Judging by its popularity in the 1970s, I think the marketing team deserves some accolades for this!
📖 Recipe
Harvey Wallbanger Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup vodka
- ¼ cup galliano
- ¾ cup orange juice
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vodka
- 2 teaspoons galliano
- 2 teaspoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Place all of the cake ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer for 3 minutes.1 package yellow cake mix, 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix, ½ cup vegetable oil, 4 eggs, ¼ cup vodka, ¼ cup galliano, ¾ cup orange juice
- Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes after removing from the oven. Then, invert onto a wire rack.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. If it’s too thick to pour, add a splash more orange juice. Drizzle over the warm cake.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vodka, 2 teaspoons galliano, 2 teaspoons orange juice
- Let cool completely before serving.
Comments
No Comments