Drunken Rummy Fruity Bundt Cake.

 
I love rum cake and I have most likely "The Best" recipe for rum cake.
 

This cake is extraordinarily moist, tender, rummy,and just plain absofreakin'lutely delicious. I think one of the ingredients - the homemade vanilla pudding mix - pushed this one past the limits. 

You must try it.
Seriously.
Has Rosie ever led you astray?

Then I started thinking.  Which is a potentially dangerous thing.
I thought, "How can I make this even better?"
I didn't think it could be done, but it can!

I made my original rum cake, then cooked some strawberries and cherries with sugar and used the fruit syrup to infuse the cake.  And it was a winner!

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

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

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

 

Fruit Syrup:

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 cup chopped cherries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until simmering and sugar has dissolved.  Reduce liquid a bit to concentrate flavors.

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 (without the vanilla beans), at 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.

When the cake is done, immediately and SLOWLY pour about 2/3 cup rum syrup and 1/2 the fruit syrup over bottom of cake.  (The cake is still in the bundt pan.)  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 and some of the remaining fruit syrup over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides and soak into cake.  Pour and rest.  Let the syrup soak in.  You don't want all the syrup pooling at the bottom, so go slowly.  Pour and rest.  Poke more holes.  Pour and rest.  Save some of the fruit and fruit syrup for individual slices.

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

Slowly pour the rum syrup over the bottom of the cake.

Slowly pour the fruit syrup over the bottom of the cake.
Let it soak in.

Invert cake onto serving platter and poke holes - lots of 'em - on the top, on the outside, and on the inside of the cake - all over.

Pokey pokey.
Pour. Pour.

Slowly pour the remaining syrups over the cake, letting them soak in.

YES!!!!

Save some of the fruit syrup and berries for the individual slices.

This is Exquisite.
With a capital E.

Rosie is in her Happy Place.

You MUST make this.

You'll be glad you did.

Another "Trust Rosie" moment.