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RUM CAKE Continuing with the adventure to cook my way through THE BAKER'S MAN, today we're whipping up Chapter 2: Rum Cake.
Sometimes your best friend knows exactly what you need when your heart breaks like peanut brittle. Other times, a night of innocent encouraging turns into an accidental disaster in the kitchen, courtesy of a bottle of rum and an enchanted ingredient.
And instead of Anna and Lily creating a deliciously sweet rum cake, the recipe causes something else entirely to pop out of the oven.
Has your Bestie ever talked you into something crazy?
Rum Cake
Serves 12 to 14
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting the pan (see note) 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
½ cup dark rum* 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs ½ cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
For the chocolate rum icing:
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half, plus more as needed 2 tablespoons dark rum*
Directions
1. Prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a large Bundt pan (12-cup) with baking spray or grease with oil and dust with flour or cocoa powder. If your Bundt pan is smaller, only fill your pan ¾ way to the top.
2. Place coffee, dark rum, butter, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk gently until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
3. Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk ingredients together.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. When the chocolate mixture has cooled, turn the mixer on low and gently pour chocolate into the egg mixture.
5. Add the flour mixture, and mix only until combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool.
7. Prepare the chocolate rum icing: Melt the chocolate morsels in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. When chocolate is melted, add butter, milk, and rum. Whisk together, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add more milk to thin the sauce, if necessary. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
8. When the cake has cooled, invert it onto a wire rack placed over parchment or wax paper. Or place on cake plate for easy serving. Drizzle with chocolate rum icing.
*Rum can be substituted with equal amounts water, fruit juice, apple cider, or rice vinegar. These flavors won’t come through the chocolate, which is a much stronger flavor, but you need the liquid.
