Rosie Makes A Rum Cake.

Do you want the best recipe ever for rum cake?

I found it.

I was going through my "to-do" list file of recipes

and I found exactly what I was looking for.

This cake is extraordinarily moist, tender, rummy,

and just plain absofreakin'lutely delicious.

I think the homemade vanilla pudding mix

pushed this one past the limits.

The rum syrup on the bottom might have helped in that department.

As did the rum syrup poured over top.

This is a total win-win situation.

And here's the recipe:

Rum Cake

Cake:

1 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 TB oil (I used canola oil.)

2/3 cup vanilla pudding mix, vanilla pods picked out (Recipe below.)

4 eggs, room temperature

3/8 cup skim milk

3/8 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup dark rum (I used Cruzan.)
1/2 cup oil

1 TB vanilla 

Vanilla pudding mix:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp kosher salt
2 whole vanilla beans 

Whisk together the sugar, dry milk powder, cornstarch, and salt.
Split open vanilla beans and scrape seeds into sugar mixture, whisking to combine evenly.  
Cut pods into pieces, place in airtight container, and add sugar mixture.  Mix well to combine.
Store in fridge.

Rum Syrup:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

pinch kosher salt

1/2 cup dark rum

Directions:

For the cake:

Heat oven to 325°.

Grease and flour Bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in flour mixture and 3 TB oil and mix for about 2 minutes.  Add the pudding mix, medium-low speed, until combined.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, skim milk, cream, rum, 1/2 cup oil, and vanilla extract.  Add this mixture to butter mixture and beat until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake 50-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Make rum syrup:
 Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sugar and water and boil about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn off heat and stir in rum.  Once mixed in, return pan to heat and heat through, about 30 seconds.

When the cake is done, immediately and SLOWLY pour about 2/3 cup rum syrup over bottom of cake.  Let seep in for 5 minutes.

Invert cake onto serving platter.  Using skewer, poke holes all over the cake - top, sides, inside.  SLOWLY pour remaining rum syrup over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides and soak into cake.  Pour and rest and let the syrup soak in.  You don't want the syrup pooling at the bottom.  Pour and rest.  Pour and rest.

Cool to room temperature before serving.
If you can wait.

And, you're welcome.

You may thank me later.