Tasty with Tea!

For Christmas, my aunt (and godmother) gave me this fabulous new cookbook. All week long (while the rest of my family was skiing and I was sick) I was deciding on what to make.  So the other day, my first day back to school, I new I had waited long enough.  I ran in the door after school and I started to make the Rum Cake.

First you make Simple Syrup, then the actual cake.  Finally, ( you can omit this part if you would like) you make Rum Icing.  I am not a huge fan of rum, I cut down on it from the beginning, but soon realized I needed to cut down on it more.  Don't be afraid to cut down on the rum if you are not a fan of it.  Simple Syrup is basically equal parts sugar, and water, simmered just to dissolve the sugar.  For the rum cake, if you have a traditional cast-iron Bundt pan, this is the time to use it. Those older pans, as well as newer pans marked "Original Bundt" or "Anniversary Bundt" with a 15-cup capacity, are what this recipe is made for.  However, if you only have a smaller Bundt pan, it will work; just leave a 1/2-inch space at the top of the pan when filling it with batter, and bake the cake for slightly less time (if you like, you can bake the excess batter in a muffin pan, checking for doneness after 30 minutes or so).  You'll need a 15-cup (10 1/2-inch) Bundt pan.  Also, baking in a convection oven gives the cake a better crumb (but a standard oven yields fantastic results as well).  I used a standard oven and it came out just fine.  Don't omit the sugar from the pan, it adds a nice sugary flavor.  One of the many problems I encountered while making this cake was the icing was very rubbery.  Another was it took forever.  I started this cake at 3:30 (right after school) and finished it at 7:45pm.  I was exhausted!

I found the recipe in Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller (another of my favorite books). Overall this was a long, sweet treat.The recipe is to follow.

Simple Syrup ( Bouchon Bakery)

Makes 1 cup

Rum Cake ( Bouchon Bakery)

Serves 10-12

Rum Icing ( Bouchon Bakery)

Makes 2/3 cup

      Simple Syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water

     Rum Cake

• 16.5 ounces unsalted butter, at room tempature, plus more for the pan ( I know what you are thinking- really come on just tell me how many cups of butter, but I looked it up on google and the mesurements aren't exact- something like 2.0625 cups.)
• 2 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus additional for the pan
• 4 cups + 3 tablespoons almond flour (meal)
• 9 eggs
• 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons Myers's dark rum
• 3 tablespoons simple syrup
• Rum Icing

      Rum Icing

• 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon Myers's dark rum
• 1 tablespoon water

SIMPLE SYRUP

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, then store in the  refrigerator. The syrup keeps indefinitely.

RUM CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (convection) or 350 degrees (standard). Brush the Bundt pan with butter. Refrigerate or freeze the pan to harden the butter (this will make it much easier to coat the pan with an even layer of sugar).

2. Add a large spoonful of sugar to the pan and rotate and tap the pan to cover the surface evenly. Invert the pan and tap lightly to remove any excess sugar.

3. Place the almond flour in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 10 times to break up any larger clumps. Pour the almond  flour into a large bowl and run it through your fingers to be certain that there are no remaining clumps. Add the all-purpose flour and whisk to combine.

4. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn to medium-low speed and cream the butter, until it has the consistency of mayonnaise and holds a peak when the paddle is lifted. Add the sugar and mix, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, for about 7 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.

5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low speed, slowly add about 1/3 of the eggs, and mix for another 10 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again. Add half the remaining eggs and mix to combine, then scrape the bowl again, add the remaining eggs, and mix for another 10 seconds. The mixture may look broken, which is fine (overwhipping the eggs could cause the cake to expand too much during baking and then deflate).

6. On low speed, add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing for about 15 seconds after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have settled there.

7. Transfer one cup of the batter to a small bowl and stir in 1/3 of a cup rum until combined. Then fold in to the remaining batter, combining it thoroughly (the texture of the batter may not be smooth).

The batter

8. With a spatula, gently scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan against the work surface and rotate it bake in forth to distribute it evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes in a convection oven, 65-70  in a standard oven, until the cake is golden brown (the color may be somewhat darker if you are not using a cast-iron pan) and a skewer inserted  in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes.

9. Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons rum with the simple syrup. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet and unmold the cake onto it. Cool for about 10 minutes, then brush the cake evenly with with the rum mixture. Let cool completely.

 Rum Icing

1. Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Stir in the rum and water until smooth. The icing should be used immediately.

The icing

  

 TO GLAZE THE CAKE:

1. Using a pastry brush, drizzle the rum icing over the to of the cake; or spoon it over the cake for more coverage, letting it run down the sides( you may not use all of the icing).

2. The cake is best made a day ahead( store in a covered container at room temperature); it will keep well for up to 3 days.  

                   

The final product