Fuzzy Naval Cake

Fuzzy Navel Cake is unabashed, boozy, bundt-shaped nostalgia. Named for the Fuzzy Navel cocktail (peach schnapps and orange juice), this doctored cake mix bundt starts with canned peaches that soak overnight in peach schnapps, then get folded into a yellow cake mix bolstered with instant vanilla pudding and chopped pecans.

The schnapps-soaked peaches do two jobs. Chopped into the batter, they add pockets of boozy fruit throughout the cake. The leftover soaking liquid becomes the base of the glaze that drizzles over the warm cake and soaks right into the top.

Instant pudding mix is the doctored-cake-mix move that separates a bundt that sags from one that stands tall and stays moist days later. It is old-school shortcut baking doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

Pro Tips

• Soak the peaches the full 24 hours. Rushing means less boozy peach flavor throughout.
• Grease and flour the bundt pan obsessively. Every curve and crevice. Skip any spot and the cake tears on release.
• Pour the glaze while the cake is still warm but turned out of the pan. Hot cake soaks up the glaze; cold cake lets it pool on the plate.
• Let the cake rest 10 minutes in the pan before flipping. Any sooner and it falls apart; any longer and it sticks.

Variations

• Swap peach schnapps for apricot brandy or amaretto for a different boozy profile.
• Use fresh peaches in summer. Macerate in schnapps and a tablespoon of sugar for the overnight soak.
• Top glazed cake with fresh peach slices and a dusting of extra powdered sugar for presentation.