Caribbean Rum Cake

   Rum dum dum!  I enjoy cakes with a noticeable hint of rum so a good suggestion for a dessert when having company is this Rum cake.. outstanding!

 Perfect <3

HI everyone:  Just a quite note and maybe a chuckle for you.  When I made this cake I had enough left after serving that I saved at least 4 slices for my almost 93 year old mom.  

Note: The other day I received a call from her saying "could you make me maybe lol a whole cake next time you come to see me"?  I laughed for ten minutes.  She loves everything I bring in to her but her fondness for this one seems to be obvious.  Could it be the RUM? Too funny!  She keeps me laughing which is a very good thing and yes there will be a whole cake coming her way the next visit.  <3 

When I saw this recipe I knew it was going to be made this holiday.  I make so many cookies etc and pies every holiday so I knew I wanted to try a new recipe and why not today since tomorrow night we are having guests for appetizers and this cake I am sure is going to be a good choice.

I am letting it set overnight and will turn it over to serve tomorrow.  It's shiny because of the butter rum syrup.  Oh MY!!

 It calls for white or dark rum and I chose white rum.  I did cut the rum in half because it did say in the recipe it is quite potent. When I read potent I know what that means so rather than have it too much of a rum taste cutting back on the amount should be just fine.  

We'll be having a few appetizers and surprises such as Spinach Artichoke stuffed french bread , a favorite buffalo chicken ring, fresh cold shrimp, a Hawaiian pineapple pecan rolled cheese ball and a few other yums.  Nothing that takes a lot of work because we have early morning plans with some friends and I am not going to be able to fuss all day.

 

 

I managed to get most of my ingredients ready to go so it'll be easy to put the appetizers together. 

  Rum cake base

• 2 cups 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 Note:  you can make your own almond flour by pulsating 1/2 to 1 cup of almonds in your processor for several minutes to produce fine almond flour.  It's a lot cheaper than buying a whole bag.

Rum soaking syrup

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white or golden rum(the real deal) lol
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spritz 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.
2. Place all of the cake ingredients except the rum, vanilla and butter rum flavoring in the bowl of your stand mixer and blend on medium speed for 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the bowl after one minute.
3. Add the rum, vanilla and flavor if using to the batter and blend for another minute. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread level with a spatula.
4. Bake the cake for 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. Bundt cakes are difficult to test properly with a short toothpick. Instead try a piece of dry uncooked spaghetti or linguine.
5. Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly while you make the soaking syrup.

12/18/15
5/11/16

adapted from:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/11/26/carribean-rum-cake-bring-the-islands-home-to-you/