Caribbean Rum Cake

Rum cake has to be one of the best cakes ever.  It used to be a regular item at my Christmas parties and always a big hit.  I miss those Christmas parties!

This recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour website.  Check it out for some awesome recipes!

Hope you enjoy this special cake :)

Ingredients

Rum cake base

• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup pastry cream filling mix or instant vanilla pudding mix, dry
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup white or golden rum
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon butter rum flavor (optional but excellent)
• 1/4 cup pecan or almond flour, for dusting baking pan

Rum soaking syrup

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white or golden rum
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions 

Preheat oven to 325°F. 

Spray a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle on the pecan or almond flour and turn the pan to coat evenly. Set aside.

Combine the cake ingredients except the rum, vanilla and butter rum flavoring in the bowl of your stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl after one minute.

Add the rum, vanilla and flavor to the batter and blend for another minute. 

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread level with a spatula.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes. 

You may smell the nut flour toasting at first, especially those not covered in cake batter. When done, the cake will test clean on a cake tester. For best results, try a piece of dry uncooked spaghetti or linguine.

Make the soaking syrup while the cake in the pan cools slightly.

Combine the syrup ingredients, except vanilla in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil andreduce to a simmer . . . cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Poke holes all over the cake using a long skewer. Pour about 1/4 of the syrup over the cake (still in the pan). Allow the syrup to soak in . . . repeat again and again until all the syrup is used.

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the cake to sit out overnight to cool completely and soak in the syrup. When ready to serve, loosen the edges of the cake and invert on to your serving plate.

Serve with hot coffee or tea. The cake is very moist, fragrant and potent.

Yield: one large or two small bundt cakes. Cake freezes very well.


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