Rum Cake, Almost Tortuga

Almost Tortuga Rum Cake

This is the “Next best to the original Tortuga Rum Cake” from the Caribbean.  Some say you can special order Tortuga rum from your local liquor store, for no extra cost.  If that doesn’t work, then try out the rums listed below.  Coconut rum is also excellent!  See the hyperlink at the bottom for where I found this on the internet when doing my research for “the best” rum cake to make for family and friends this Christmas season.  I gotta tell you, it was EXCELLENT cake, if you like rum cake!  We made 8 of them so far, and I think we’ll make 2 more tomorrow!

Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 55 mins
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Basic Cake Mix

2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into bits
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Cake

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans or macadamias)
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs (better if at room temperature)
1/2 cup Cruzan vanilla rum (Hawaiian-style rum)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

vanilla beans (optional. soak and scrape)

shredded coconut flakes (optional)

Rum soaking Glaze

1/2 cup butter (do not substitute)
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Cruzan vanilla rum (Hawaiian-style rum), or similar rum

Directions:

Basic Cake Mix:

·         In a large mixing bowl, combine basic cake mix ingredients.

·         On low speed combine ingredients until the mix is the consistency of fine gravel, and all particles are about the same size.

·         This mix may be contained and stored for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

For the Cake:

·         Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

·         Spray a large Bundt pan (12 cup) with nonstick BAKING cooking spray. (If you just use non-stick spray, it will likely stick in parts.  Or, you can oil and flour the pan.)

·         Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on the bottom.

·         Place Basic Cake Mix, pudding mix, milk, eggs, rum, oil, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and combine on medium speed with electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, scrape down the bowl halfway through. Batter should be very smooth.

·         Pour into Bundt pan.

·         Bake for about 55 minutes- until fully golden and tester comes out clean and cake springs back.

·         Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack while making the soaking glaze.

Rum Soaking Glaze:

·         Combine butter, water and sugar in a small saucepan.

·         Bring to a boil carefully as mixture boils over very easily.

·         Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup is well combined and a little thicker.

·         Remove from the heat and add the rum, mix to combine. (some like to cook rum in)

·         While cake is still cooling, pour some of the hot syrup on top of the cake, allowing it time to soak in (this may take a few minutes as there will be a lot of syrup) continue to add syrup until all of the syrup is added.

·         Allow cake to cool completely in pan before turning out onto serving platter.

·         This cake is delicate, so once it is turned out, it cannot be moved around easily.

·         Can be eaten when fully cool, but even better the next day, or for many days or weeks afterwards!


.
NOTE ON THE BUNDT PAN:
I have baked since I was a pre-teen, and used a lot of different types of pans and recipes since then.
For this recipe, and any other type of bundt pan, I highly recommend the Pampered Chef stoneware bundt pan.  You can find it under pamperedchef.com as this item #1440 Stoneware Fluted Pan
I use baking pam to spray on the bundt pan, and none of my cakes have stuck at all.  They cook evenly, and come out perfectly each time!  
 

http://www.food.com/recipe/almost-tortuga-rum-cake-108524

Recipe: Wacky Cake

I used to do yard work for an elderly couple back in my teenage years, Sue and Don Powers. Her birthday was on Valentine's day, and he was just 3 days older than her. I met them when they had turned 76 years old, and she was an active gardener and a member of the local flower club. He would still use the tiller and till up their garden and help her plant the vegetables, as well as a border of marigolds to keep the bunnies out. I also learned how to french braid my hair from Mrs. Power. Whenever I wanted it braided, she'd do it for me before I left for the day and she showed me how to make the braids work. It was also here that I attempted to smoke my first -- and last -- pack of cigarettes. All the kids were doing it, it was supposed to be so cool, so I bought a pack and would try to smoke whenever I was working here because it was away from the family and I could practice without people making fun of me. I think it lasted me about a month. By that time, I had decided I didn't like to smoke and threw away the last few cigarettes in the pack, that had probably gone stale anyway. I learned a lot from Mrs. Power, this little tiny woman who always had a smile and something nice to say, and she'd even fix great lunches while I was there working. I'd dig up her iris bed and hibernate some of the bulbs, then plant them back in rows as she wanted for the next season. Iris bulbs are very prolific, by the way. She had an awesome rose garden that she would mostly tend to, but I'd do the weeds and other trimming around it, and clean up the debris. And she had other flowers and projects around her property that was over an acre big (hard to guage now, almost 30 years later), but nicely landscaped. Mr. Power was usually also around, but he'd watch TV while we were going these projects, and then he'd come out and do whatever she asked him to do. She also had a mint garden, which was mostly enclosed on the back side of the house. "Mostly" because mint has a tendency to jump barriers and the roots can grow down several inches and reappear across the yard and continue the spread. I took some of her mint roots and transplanted them at Mom's house, and also at Isabella's house, where mint continues to grow at both.

Mrs. Power had this odd little recipe she'd tell me about, and then showed me to bake when I was just 16. You don't use a mixing bowl, you just mix it in the baking pan.

Wacky Cake by Sue Power, 1980

Sift together:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa

Sift flour into a greased and waxed/lined cake pan. Make 3 holes in the flour.

Put the following into the three separate holes (i.e., butter in one, vanilla in another, vinegar in the last):
5 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp vinegar

Over all, pour 1 cup cold water.

Mix well, getting all the corners.

Bake directly in baking pan in 350 degree F. oven for about 40 minutes, checking with toothpick or cake tester when done.

Recipe: Carrot Cake

This is the carrot cake that goes with the cream cheese frosting, from Paula Mitchell.

Carrot Cake

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups cooking oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots

Mix wet ingredients and blend, add in sifted dry ingredients. Add in carrots.

Bake in greased and floured/lined oblong pan (13 x 9) at 300 degrees F. for about 45 minutes or until done. Check doneness with a toothpick or cake tester.

Recipe: Apricot Nectar Cake

From a co-worker back in 1986, Jean Kibler. This has an odd name, but it is an excellent cake, and very, very moist!

Apricot Nectar Cake

1 package of yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup apricot nectar
1 tsp lemon extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Prepare cake mix with the ingredients above. Bake in well-greased and floured bundt pan for about 60 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN door while baking this one. When done, poke knife slots in cake and dribble topping slowly over the holes. Let cool for 1 hour, then remove from pan.

Topping:
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar mixed with juice of 2 lemons

Recipe: Cold Oven Pound Cake

This is an excellent pound cake!
Also from Mom!

Cold Oven Pound Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp baking powder*
5 large eggs

Cream together butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine milk, vanilla and lemon extract. Add half of this mixture to the butter mixture. In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, mace and baking powder. Add one egg at a time, alternately with the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix well after each addition. Add last half of milk mixture.

Start in COLD OVEN and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Use a greased and floured bundt pan.

*For a lighter cake, add the 1/2 tsp baking powder to the last flour addition instead of sifting it in with the dry ingredients.

Recipe: Six Flavor Cake

by Ann Nutting, beautiful cousin living in Berkeley

Six Flavor Cake

1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs, beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp rum extract
1 tsp butter extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Cream butter, then add in sugar and cream until smooth. Add in eggs.
Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
Combine milk with flavorings.
Add half of milk mixture to butter mixture and blend well.
Add half flour mixture to this new butter mixture, and blend.
Add second half of milk, repeat.
Add last half of flour, blend well.

Bake in greased and floured bundt pan at 325 degrees F. for about 90 minutes (test). Cool for 10 minutes when done, then take out and put on was paper. Top with 6-flavor glaze, below.

Six Flavor Glaze

In a small saucepan, mix 1/2 tsp of each of the flavorings listed in recipe above with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Pour slowly over cake when done.