RUM CAKE

Happy Throwback Thursday!

All this week I’ve been sharing recipes for the dishes I prepared for a  Birthday Dinner Party I hosted recently.  I prepared a delicious Rum Cake for the birthday cake.

This is a cake that was very popular back in the day.  I won’t say how far “back-in-the-day” or I’ll be giving away my age.  However, in recent years it kinda fell by the wayside, and although I love this cake, I forgot that at one time I had prepared it frequently.  It is moist and really delicious, and it reminds me of travels to the Caribbean where rum cake can be found on every corner.  This recipe has been widely circulated in the past and is by no means my original.  But, it deserves a comeback because honestly, I think people have forgotten about it. So, in honor of Throwback Thursday, here is a throwback recipe for Rum Cake.

This Rum Cake is made in a bundt pan.  Cakes have a tendency to stick to bundt pans unless you grease the heck out of them.  So, using softened butter, grease the heck out of your bundt pan, being sure to get plenty of butter in all the nooks and crannies.  I don’t recommend flouring the pan, as flour leaves a white residue that is not pretty.  Now, go preheat your oven to 325º F.

Next, finely dice 1 cup of pecans and toss them into the bottom of your buttered bundt pan.  You can also substitute walnuts for the pecans in this recipe.  Both are delicious.

Add 4 eggs to a mixing bowl and beat them up.

Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil……

and 1/2 cup water……

and finally, the good stuff: 1/2 cup rum.  I like to use a good quality Bacardi Reserve dark rum.

Then, add a box of yellow cake mix……

and a 3.4 ounce box of Instant Vanilla Pudding.  Then turn on your mixer and mix it all up until just combined.  Never over mix a cake batter or you will end up with a tough, dry cake.

Pour the cake batter into your prepared bundt pan.  Place it in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out dry.  Allow your bundt cake to cool in the pan on a cooling rack.

While your cake is baking prepare the delicious rum glaze.  You want it to be ready when your cake comes out of the oven.  So, add 1 cube of butter (1/2 cup) to a small saucepan.

Add one cup of sugar……

and 1/4 cup of water.  Bring the mixture to a slow boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the glaze begins to thicken.

Remove the glaze from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of good quality dark rum. After all, this is a rum cake and rum is the main flavor component, so you want it to be good.

Now, getting back to the Rum Cake which is cooling in the pan……

Get a long skewer of some sort and start poking holes in the cake while it is still in the cake pan.  You will want to do this soon after you remove the Rum Cake from the oven, because before the cake cools completely you will need to flip it over.  I caution you here because if the cake cools too much in the pan it may be difficult to remove it without breaking it.  Once you have finished polking a whole kit and kaboodle of holes in the cake, carefully start to pour 1/2 of the glaze over the cake. Let it sit and absorb the liquid a bit and then pour in some more until you use 1/2 of the glaze.

Now it’s time to flip the Rum Cake out of the pan and onto a nice cake platter. Once again, polk a bunch of holes on the top side of the cake. Pour the remaining glaze over the top of the cake.  You may have to pause a few times in the process to allow the glaze to soak in. Be patient and use every last drop of this yummy, rummy glaze.

This cake can be served slightly warm or at room temperature.  I like to dollop whipped cream on each slice for good measure.

Now, go make this cake!  You and your friends will be so happy you did.

RUM CAKE

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Author: Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Cuisine: Dessert

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE
• 1 Cup Minced Pecans
• 4 Eggs
• ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
• ½ Cup Water
• ½ Cup Good Quality Dark Rum
• 1 - 15.25 Ounce Package Vanilla Cake Mix
• 1 - 3.4 Ounce Package Instant Vanilla Pudding
• FOR THE GLAZE
• 1/2 Cup Butter (1 Cube)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• ¼ Cup Water
• ½ Cup Good Quality Dark Rum

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Generously grease a bundt pan.
3. Sprinkle minced pecans into the bottom of the buttered bundt pan.
4. Add 4 eggs to a standing mixer and beat.
5. Add vegetable oil, water, and rum and beat on medium speed to combine.
6. Add cake mix and pudding mix and beat to combine.
7. Do not over beat.
8. Pour batter into bundt pan.
9. Bake for approximately 1 hour until cake tester comes out clean.
10. Cool in pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before beginning the glazing process.
11. While the cake is baking prepare the glaze.
12. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
13. Add sugar and water.
14. Boil for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze begins to thicken.
15. Remove from heat and add rum.
16. Stir to combine.
17. While the cake is still in the pan and using a long skewer, poke it with many holes.
18. Slowly pour half of the glaze over the cake, taking time to allow it to be absorbed as you pour.
19. Turn the cake out onto a serving platter.
20. Again, poke the cake with holes.
21. Pour the remaining half of the glaze over the cake, taking time to allow it to be absorbed.
22. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.
23. ENJOY!

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