If You Have A Box Of Yellow Cake Mix And Know How To Make A Harvey Wallbanger Cocktail, You Can Make This Popular 1970s Dessert

If you want fresh flavors for your next bake, look to your home bar. Spirits and liqueurs contribute deliciously intense and complex flavors, offering a more tender texture for cakes, while cocktails serve up some serious flavor inspiration. One guaranteed crowd-pleasing idea is one of the most popular desserts from the 1970s, and it's made in the fashion of one of the most iconic cocktails boomers love: the Harvey Wallbanger.

The cocktail traditionally contains vodka, freshly squeezed orange juice, and Galliano L'Autentico liqueur, a botanical liqueur that tastes like honey, cinnamon, anise, vanilla, and peppermint. The drink boasts a citrusy tartness balanced by a sweetness, spice, and herbaceousness that translates to its eponymous bundt cake.

According to Chef Rich on YouTube, the Harvey Wallbanger bundt is "a very easy cake to make." While the dessert calls for a yellow cake mix, don't expect the results to taste like any old, boxed cake. "You taste the orange," the chef notes, "and the flavorings in [the alcohol] give it a very, very specific taste that's not like a Duncan Hines yellow cake."

To make this dessert, mix yellow cake mix (you could also use vanilla or orange cake mix) with vanilla instant pudding, eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, Galliano liqueur, and a splash of vodka. Pour that into a greased bundt pan and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes. For the glaze, simply mix orange juice, Galliano, and vodka with powdered sugar.

The Harvey Wallbanger bundt cake certainly stirs up nostalgia for folks online, many of whom recall their mothers making it for celebratory occasions. "My mom made this cake around Christmas every year for years and years," says one Reddit user. "Great memory and so delicious!" Others confirm it doesn't fail to delight these days either. "Harvey Wallbanger cake is always a hit," declares another Redditor on a thread discussing bundt cakes, adding that they don't even like Galliano. On Instagram, one commenter deemed it their "very favorite cake eva!!!"

To get the best results for your Harvey Wallbanger bake, use extra coating to keep bundt cakes from sticking to their pans — a fine dusting of flour works here. Remember to poke holes in the cooled cake before pouring the glaze so that it flows into the cake and brings flavor and moistness to each bite. Add toppings that nod to the cocktail, like fresh or candied orange slices and orange zest, and maraschino cherries. Alternatively, add fresh mint leaves or a sprinkle of cinnamon. For true decadence, serve with vanilla ice cream.

For more recipe guidance, follow Chef Rich's advice on YouTube.