Recipe Background
Oceanfront Rum Cake captures sunlit coastlines and soft ocean breezes with a fragrant splash of amber rum.
When I think back to my very first beach vacation as a college graduate, the scent of rum cake instantly transports me to that small coastal town. Fresh out of school, I craved the salty air and the rhythmic crash of waves. The local bakery was famous for their rum cake, and every bite carried the warmth of coconut and a whisper of the ocean breeze. I realized then that I couldn't leave this sensation behind, so I learned to recreate it at home. Leveraging a splash of amber rum in the batter reminded me of those sunsets, while coconut extract conjured up the dreamy islands where I spent hours daydreaming of adventures yet to come.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more, to taste, for dusting the pan
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 3/4 cup amber rum
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the syrup:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup amber rum
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan, then dust it with the extra flour.
- In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of the softened butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and use an electric hand mixer to mix until it is light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, to the butter-sugar mixture and beat well after each addition.
- Beat the coconut extract into the butter mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the amber rum and the milk.
- In a second large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 3/4 cups of the flour, the pudding mix, the cornstarch, the baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of the salt together.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and the rum mixture to the butter mixture and beat well after each addition.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared tube pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Transfer the tube pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool, about 10 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto the wire rack and let it briefly sit to prevent sticking.
- Return the cake to the tube pan and let the cake cool completely.
- When the cake is cool, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining butter, the water, the remaining sugar, and the extra salt and stir to combine.
- Bring the syrup mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat and stir the remaining amber rum into the syrup.
- Use a small skewer to poke holes in the cake.
- Slowly pour the syrup over the cake until all of the syrup is absorbed.
- Cover the cake and let it stand for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
- Invert the cake onto a serving plate, slice, and serve.
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