Today’s post is a somewhat of a cheater; I already blogged about this cake on practically the first of these pages, but, because I have orders for eight cakes, and I will be baking cakes and little else all weekend, I’m making another rum cake post today, dedicated to hopefully the ONE individual surfing out in cyberspace somewhere who actually wants to learn to bake a good rum cake, or who is already adept at the process but thinks the sound of having a rum cake, right now, is lovely. Here you go then; as they say in songs and award acceptance speeches world-wide, “This one is for you!” The recipe is as listed in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook; it’s detailed, for the beginning baker, but once you get the hang of mixing up this wonderful cake, you won’t even be using a recipe book at all to put it together.
Most people who love rum cakes associate them with winter and the holiday season, and were surprised that I am taking rum cake orders now, in June, but, the truth is, a rum cake is actually a cake for all seasons. Simple and quick, 10 minutes from greasing the bundt pan to sliding it in the oven and then you’re good for the next 50 minutes! Prepare the rich buttery-rum glaze 10 minutes before you remove the cake from the oven and you’re all pau (done!). You only pour the glaze over the cake and paint some glaze on any dry spots before wrapping the cake to sit at least, overnight.
The glaze will sink through the holes you made all over the cake’s surface using the tines of a fork and it doesn’t take long for a person to realize that it is those wet spots in the cake where the glaze has landed and moistened the cake sublimely. That awareness is, apparently, the art of eating a rum cake as well as baking one.
This is definitely an “it only gets better the longer it sits” recipe. The best-tasting rum cake to me is the second day after it’s baked when the juices of the glaze have thoroughly permeated the dense cake, but i have friends who swear that these cakes are best enjoyed once frozen for several months then eaten when just thawed or even half-frozen. For breakfast. You just can’t go wrong with a cake with THAT many good qualities, folks!
If your family is small, the cake will last for three days, sliced in liberal pieces and eaten at a good clip. Do invest an hour today and keep this cake tightly covered under heavy foil or a cake cover, sitting on the counter, and then just go on, and, well feel good about spending an hour with such big results for you and your family.
And thanks to you ladies who ordered the eight cakes! Baking them for you has help fund my vacation in Florida next week. Not totally funded it, of course, because the rum cake profits alone will go next into buying the jars and the ingredients for the mango chutney Susie and I will be making while I’m there and laying up heavy foil, walnuts, flour and eggs for the many loaves of mango bread we will turn out. What a blessing then that the droves of mangoes we will need are free and husband-picked for us daily! It’s definitely summer again, people, and time to enjoy summer’s bounty: from rum cakes to mangoes! Enjoy!
Misses’ Rum Cake
Ingredients
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 box Duncan Hines Supreme Butter Recipe Golden cake mix
1-(3 oz.) box vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Bacardi Light Rum
1/2 cup Wesson oil
5 eggs
Directions Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 12” bundt pan and sprinkle the pecans around the bottom. In large bowl, stir the cake mix and the dry pudding mix, add the water, oil, and rum. Crack the eggs into your bowl last and mix with electric mixer until batter is glossy, about 2″ on medium speed. Allow batter to breathe in bowl 5-7 minutes then scrape batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake exactly one hour.
GLAZE Ingredients and Directions Prepare 10 minutes before cake is finished baking. In medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup rum, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil then add 1 stick butter. Reduce heat and boil low for 5-7 minutes. When the cake is just out of the oven, poke deep holes all over it with the tines of a fork. Pour the hot glaze into a large glass measuring cup and slowly pour the glaze over cake. Use a spatula to gently pull the cake away from the sides of the pan and pour some of the glaze around the sides so it coats the sides, flowing to bottom of the pan and adding gloss to the top of the cake. Let the glaze sink in slowly then keep pouring until glaze is good and gone. Let cake cool in the pan for 50 minutes then invert onto your serving plate. Cover it tightly with a generous piece of heavy-duty foil tucking foil under edges of platter. You can also make this well ahead and freeze, tightly covered with the foil. On the day you want to serve it, take it out of the freezer and allow to thaw slowly. Never microwave this cake or you will end up with nothing but a puddle of rum and butter. Also do not refrigerate once it has been cut; just keep covered tightly with heavy foil on counter top or well hidden from your hungry spouse and other family members.