Derby Day Bonus: Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Posted on May 2, 2026May 1, 2026 by Dusty Roads | No Comments

Derby Day is filled with pomp and circumstances and tradition from Hats to mint julips to Kentucky Bourbon Cakes

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What are you serving for Derby Day
Do you have your stylish chapeau
Will you whip up a pitcher of mint juleps
Or do you prefer cake?

Here’s a Kentucky Derby tradition for you and your guests.

🎂 Kentucky Derby Bourbon Cake

Ingredients — Cake

3 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Ingredients — Glaze

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup bourbon

🥣 Directions

1 — Mix the Batter

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cream butter + sugars until fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Add eggs one at a time.
Combine buttermilk + bourbon in a separate bowl.

2 — Bake

Alternate adding dry ingredients and bourbon mixture on low speed.
Finish mixing by hand.
Grease and flour a Bundt pan thoroughly.
Bake 40–45 minutes until golden and springy.
Melt glaze ingredients in a saucepan while it bakes

3 — Glaze

Leave cake in the pan.
Poke holes with a skewer.
Pour 3/4 of the glaze over the warm cake and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Flip onto a plate and pour the remaining glaze over the top.
Serve with coffee or a mint julep.

I haven’t made this cake yet, but it’s on my list.
If you give it a whirl for Derby Day, let me know how it turns out — I love hearing your kitchen victories and discoveries.

Derby Day: The Two Minutes That Still Make Me Cry

Posted on May 2, 2026April 28, 2026 by Dusty Roads | No Comments

🐎 A Horse‑Crazy Girl at Heart

I’ve always been a reader, and like any self‑respecting teenage girl, I was mad for horses. I even managed to own a couple (much to my parents’ dismay), but I loved them, and back then I was a pretty fair horsewoman. Probably not now — but that girl is still in me somewhere.

As a young reader, I devoured every horse book I could get my hands on. The first book I ever owned — not borrowed from the library — was The Snow Filly

As a young reader, I devoured every horse book I could get my hands on. The first book I ever owned — not borrowed from the library — was The Snow Filly. I read it until the cover curled. Then came The Black Stallion series. If I’m remembering correctly (and it was many years ago), that wild black stallion eventually ran in the Kentucky Derby. Fiction, of course, but when you’re a horse‑crazy girl, who cares? Those stories were about heroes — and that’s all I needed.

Somewhere in those pages, my love for the Kentucky Derby was born.

The Magic of Post Time

Now I watch the Derby every year — and today is the day! The first Saturday in May. I’m not glued to the TV for the hats or the pomp or the endless pre‑race chatter. I only care about post time. I usually turn on the TV about 30 minutes before the race, just in time for the moment that still gives me goosebumps:

“Riders up!”

The bugle rings out. The horses leave the paddock in the post parade, heading toward the track and the starting gate. My heart starts pounding, and I try to pick a favorite — but who am I kidding? They’re all my favorites. I’d be a terrible handicapper.

The excitement builds as they load into the gate. Some horses walk in calmly. Others rear, dance, or fight the moment — nervous, anxious, full of fire. Then there’s a beat, a breath, a stillness.

And then they’re off.

The most exciting two minutes in sports is underway.

And I cry. Every single time. It’s just so amazing. If I ever get to go in person, I know I’ll embarrass myself. Who cries at a horse race? Everyone else cheers, but not me — I sob my heart out. Those magnificent horses are running with everything they have, and the thrill never fades.

I just love those two minutes.

Riders Up!

The Most Exciting 2 Minutes in Sports!

Posted on May 10, 2017May 6, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

The Most Exciting 2 Minutes in Sports

The Kentucky Derby is the premier thoroughbred horse race in the United States. Known as the Most Exciting 2 Minutes in Sports or the Run for the Roses, it is the first leg of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby has been run every consecutive year since 1875. The horses are not the only stars of this race. This is more than a horse race.

This is steeped in Southern tradition from the over-sized hats the ladies wear to the gallons of mint juleps that are consumed on race day.

A Little bit of History

If you are not a fan of horses or of horse racing you probably don’t understand all the fuss. But The Kentucky Derby is a Big Deal! The excitement starts 2 weeks before the actual race with the Kentucky Derby Festival. The actual race is always the first Saturday in May.

The race is restricted to 3 year old thoroughbreds who can sustain a distance of one and a quarter miles.

What is the Triple Crown?

The Kentucky Derby is the first race in the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness , then the Belmont Stakes. For a horse to be a Triple Crown winner it must win all 3 races.

Traditions Pay A big Role

The Mint Julep is the traditional beverage of the race often served in an ice-frosted silver julep cup. Women appear in fine outfits lavishly accessorized with large, elaborate hats that alone can cost $500-$2000! So much money just to have a hat like Audrey Hepburn!

The Derby is frequently referred to as “The Run for the Roses,” because a lush blanket of 554 red roses is awarded to the Kentucky Derby winner each year.

Final Thoughts and Observations

I love horses and seeing them racing down the homestretch takes my breath away. Unfortunately horse racing still remains one place where women are facing extreme discrimination. It seems counter intuitive because every girl I know loves horses and recreational riding is embraced more by women than men. Also the weight restrictions would seem to be more typical for women than men yet the few women that have tried to break the sexual barrier have been ridiculed, harassed and heckled. Male jockeys still outnumber Female jockeys 7 to 1! I’ll still enjoy the race but I wish more women could or would break the all male barrier.

Congratulations to Almost Dreaming and his team!

(Photo: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports)

It’s Raining but Its not Raining Men

Posted on May 8, 2017May 6, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Its Raining Men – NOT!

Its raining and the prediction is rain for the next 10 days! I guess that even though we left April behind we didn’t escape the April Showers! The flowers, trees, grass, weeds and all the other spring things are definitely blooming. Now if the rain would just stop for a day or two…on the weekend.

What’s been happening?

Aside from the rain I’ve been working. I clocked 67 hours this past week.

I was so looking forward to doing something fun this weekend and then sharing it here but mother nature had other plans. Saturday it poured until about 2 pm. Then the sun did come out. You know that yellow thing in the sky? But where could I go with only a couple of hours? Its Kentucky Derby Day and I love to catch that race.

I’ve been watching it for years and hate to miss it. Someday I plan to attend in person. Now that would be something to write about!

More Than Work!

Ok I did more than work. I enrolled in a class that runs 5 Thursdays in June. Its how to set up and design a blog. Maybe I’ll finally get the instruction I need to Tweak this baby! I can’t wait to start the class. And one other thing happened. I got my renewed passport back, not that I’m planning any overseas trips.

I’m still fixated on the good old USA. I also picked up a renewal of my motion sickness patch so I’m ready to get out on the ocean. Look out whales and sharks!

Captain John Boats

Speaking of chasing whales, I usually go out of Plymouth, MA with Captain John. http://www.captjohn.com/ I follow them on Facebook too. https://www.facebook.com/CaptainJohnBoats/ His feed has been filled with great whale sightings already this spring. Even the humpbacks have started to come back. Right whales, white-sided dolphins…I can’t wait to get back out there!

Rain, rain go away

All right mother nature. I’m all for rain. Its good for growing things but can you make it rain when I’m at work or asleep at night and give me some sunshine on the weekends? Please?

Tag Archives: Kentucky Derby

Derby Day Bonus: Kentucky Bourbon Cake

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