All for rum and rum for all...

My all-time favorite thing to prepare, and eat for that matter, is dessert. It could be the sugar-addict in me, but there is nothing like the aroma of chocolate chip cookies or cinnamon rolls wafting through the house to pique my appetite. My love of sweets could explain why I’ve never been successful with the Atkins diet.

Today’s recipe comes from The Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook, by Anne Byrn. It’s a wonderful book that uses cake mixes but adds a twist to the recipe. Bacardi Rum Cake was created in 1976 by a neighbor of William Walker, the president of Bacardi. The neighbor brought this cake to a party Mr. Walker was having… and the rest is history.

BACARDI RUM CAKE

CAKE:
Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 cup finely chipped pecans or walnuts
1 package plain yellow cake mix (not with pudding-in-the-mix) **
1 package vanilla instant pudding (3.4 oz.)
½ cup Bacardi dark rum
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
4 large eggs

GLAZE:
6 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. water
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup Bacardi dark rum


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly mist with vegetable oil spray and flour bundt or tube pan. Sprinkle nuts in the bottom of the pan. Set pan aside.

Place cake mix, pudding mix, rum, oil, water, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat for 3 minutes, scraping down sides bowl with spatula as needed. Pour batter evenly over nuts into prepared pan.

Bake the cake until it is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. Run sharp knife around edge of the cake and invert it on a serving platter. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a toothpick.

Prepare the glaze. Place butter in a small saucepan and melt it over low heat. Stir in water and sugar. Increase heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the glaze simmer until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and add rum. Spoon the glaze over warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes and drizzle down the sides and into the center of the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

SERVES 16

**If you are using a cake mix with pudding-in-the-mix, use 3 eggs, reduce the oil to 1/3 cup, and don’t add the instant pudding mix. Bacardi rum cakes made with pudding-in-the-mix tend to be heavier and very moist, but still tasty.

I’m wondering if the neighbor of the Bacardi president that developed this recipe was ever rewarded for her efforts.