Oh boy, I guess it’s pretty obvious that this recipe doesn’t align with Earthy Feast’s mission statement of healthy weird hippy food. Ummm… yeah, there’s a naughty packet of pudding and about half a cup of rum in here. I’m sure the very virtuous could figure out a hack – maybe sub some spelt flour or coconut sugar or just go eat a clementine. This is the real deal. Like the grown-up version of visions of sugar plums dancing in your head. I stumbled upon this recipe about a year ago over here but the holidays came and went and I unfortunately never got around to making it. So I continued having these dancing visions of rum cake all year long and now, finally, the dream is a reality! Love, peace and rum cake to all of you and a happy new year!
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Step 1
In an electric mixer, cream the butter and gradually incorporate the sugar a little at a time. Once the all the sugar has been added and the mixture has increased slightly in volume, add the eggs one at a time. Wait until each egg has been fully incorporated before adding the next. Be patient! This part always takes a bit of time!
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Step 2
Add the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk/rum mix to the batter as follows: 1/3 of the dry, ½ of the wet, 1/3 of the dry, ½ of the wet, and the last 1/3 of the dry. Wait only until each addition is incorporated to add the next.
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Step 3
Pouring over the nuts, gently and evenly distribute the batter into the pan. Avoid stirring or tapping the pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 F for about 50 minutes.
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Step 4
Prepare the glaze while the cakes are in the oven: Melt the butter in a pan until brown, nutty and fragrant, stir in water and sugar and simmer for five minutes. Add rum, stir, and remove from the heat.
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Step 5
Let the cakes cool for 10–15 min after removing them from the oven. Gently remove the cake from the bundt, making sure that the cake is free of the pan and then place the cake back in the pan. Use a wooden skewer to pierce the cake all over and slowly pour ½ of glaze over each cake.
Ingredients for the Rum Cake
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup pastry flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoons baking powder
1 pack vanilla pudding mix
8 tablespoons butter, room temp
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
¼ cup dark rum
½ cup pecans, lightly toasted
Ingredients for the Glaze
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup dark rum
Directions
Sift both flours, salt, baking powder and vanilla pudding mix together. Combine vanilla extract, buttermilk and dark rum, set aside. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and gradually incorporate the sugar a little at a time. Once the all the sugar has been added and the mixture has increased slightly in volume, add the eggs one at a time. Wait until each egg has been fully incorporated before adding the next. Be patient! This part always takes a bit of time! (Alternately, add the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk/rum mix to the batter as follows: 1/3 of the dry, ½ of the wet, 1/3 of the dry, ½ of the wet, and the last 1/3 of the dry. Wait only until each addition is incorporated to add the next.) Grease and flour your bunt pan (plain ones with less frills work best here). Evenly distribute the chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan. Pouring over the nuts, gently and evenly distribute the batter into the pan. Avoid stirring or tapping the pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 325F for about 50 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden skewer is inserted and comes out clean. Prepare the glaze while the cakes are in the oven: Melt the butter in a pan until brown, nutty and fragrant, stir in water and sugar and simmer for five minutes. Add rum, stir, and remove from the heat.
Let the cakes cool for 10–15 min after removing them from the oven. Gently remove the cake from the bundt, making sure that the cake is free of the pan and then place the cake back in the pan. Use a wooden skewer to pierce the cake all over and slowly pour ½ of glaze over each cake. Leave the glazed cake in the bundt pan for at least three hours before removing.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Aunt Ingrid’s Rum Cake. The funny thing is I have an aunt Ingrid in Germany who would be all over this cake!
I’ll be back from the much needed holiday break on January 10th! See you then!