Rum Rum Cake

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour; it is absolutely the best rum cake I have ever had! I only changed it a bit by scattering one cup of chopped pecans on the bottom of the bundt pan. BTW, isn’t that shape awesome? I love my new Williams-Sonoma bundt pan!!! I don’t buy jewelry or purses; I buy bundt pans!  But back to the cake: strong, moist, delicious! I am going to try this with bourbon and walnuts next time. You will have the best success with this cake if you weigh the flour; if you don’t already have a kitchen scale with grams and ounces, I strongly urge you to get one. They are inexpensive and help a great deal with baked goods.

Cake:

2 cups unbleached flour (I do use King Arthur) 8 1/2 ounces

1 1/2 cups sugar

3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding

2 t baking powder 

1 t salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup veg oil

1/2 cup milk, room temp

4 large eggs, room temp

1/2 cup rum

2 t vanilla

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Syrup: 

8 T unsalted butter 

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup rum

1/2 t vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325º. 

2. Put flour, sugar, pudding, baking powder, salt, butter and veg oil in a mixing bowl and mix until everything is combined and has a sandy look to it.

3. Beat in the milk and then the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl and beat again to mix.

4. Stir in the rum and vanilla.

5. Spray your bundt pan with baking spray; Baker’s Joy works wonders in this case. Distribute the nuts around the bottom of the pan and pour the batter over the nuts. Level it out with a spoon. 

6. Bake cake for about 50-60 minutes. 

7. Leave cake in the pan while you make the syrup.

8. Combine all syrup ingredients except vanilla in a medium saucepan; bring to a rapid boil and then simmer for about 5-8 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

9. Poke lots and lots of holes in the cake with a wooden skewer. Pour a bit of the syrup on top of the cake at a time until soaked in; keep pouring on the syrup a little at at time until it is all soaked in. 

10. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and allow it to sit overnight.

11. Invert the cake. If it won’t release, tap it on the counter forcefully (I had to do this); if it still won’t release, don’t force it. Heat it in a 350º oven, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes and then invert.

12. Moist and delicious!!!!!