Pecan-Studded Rum Cake
MAY 3, 2019 – 5:00 AM
(MARK BOUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHY / STYLING BY TERESA BLACKBURN)
Everywhere you go in the Bahamas, you see storefronts lined with tins of rum cake. People go nuts for it, and for good reason—it’s incredibly moist and decadent,” says chef Elizabeth Karmel in her new cookbook, Steak and Cake.
Imagine her surprise when she learned the secret behind this Caribbean specialty: packaged yellow cake mix with pudding.
“I tried again and again to make it from scratch, but it never was the same,” says Karmel. “At the end of the day, even though I’m a ‘from-scratch’ kind of gal, I had to give it up to the mix. It’s just that much better.”
She also recommends making the cake a day or two ahead so the cake can really soak up the delicious rum glaze. And when you’re adding the glaze to the still-warm cake, take your time.
This recipe works beautifully in a standard Bundt pan, but if you’d like to use a square one, like we do here, try this one from Nordic Ware.
[Excerpted from Steak and Cake by Elizabeth Karmel (Workman). Copyright © 2019. Photographs by Stephen Hamilton.]
BAKING
Pecan-Studded Rum Cake
MAY 3, 2019 – 5:00 AM – 1 COMMENT
By PARADE @parademagazine
(MARK BOUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHY / STYLING BY TERESA BLACKBURN; STEPHEN HAMILTON)
“Everywhere you go in the Bahamas, you see storefronts lined with tins of rum cake. People go nuts for it, and for good reason—it’s incredibly moist and decadent,” says chef Elizabeth Karmel in her new cookbook, Steak and Cake.
Imagine her surprise when she learned the secret behind this Caribbean specialty: packaged yellow cake mix with pudding.
“I tried again and again to make it from scratch, but it never was the same,” says Karmel. “At the end of the day, even though I’m a ‘from-scratch’ kind of gal, I had to give it up to the mix. It’s just that much better.”
She also recommends making the cake a day or two ahead so the cake can really soak up the delicious rum glaze. And when you’re adding the glaze to the still-warm cake, take your time.
This recipe works beautifully in a standard Bundt pan, but if you’d like to use a square one, like we do here, try this one from Nordic Ware.
[Excerpted from Steak and Cake by Elizabeth Karmel (Workman). Copyright © 2019. Photographs by Stephen Hamilton.]
Pecan-Studded Rum Cake
By ELIZABETH KARMEL
SERVES
8-19
ACTIVE TIME
20 min.
TOTAL TIME
1hr 30min
DIRECTIONS
Cake:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt or 10-inch tube pan with baking spray.
In a large bowl, stir cake mix, pudding mix (if using), water, oil, rum and eggs. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. Lightly tap pan on counter to evenly distribute batter and remove excess air bubbles. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
When cake is done, cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Prick top and sides all over with a toothpick. Slowly drizzle some of the glaze all over sides and top of cake. Allow to absorb before drizzling with more glaze. Repeat until all glaze is used (some glaze will collect on bottom of plate). Cool cake completely. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Glaze:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until sugar has melted and mixture is syrupy. Remove from heat; carefully stir in rum (mixture will bubble at first) and salt.
KITCHEN COUNTER
Serves 8-10.
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
Baking spray
1 (18.5-oz) pkg yellow cake mix with pudding OR (15.25-oz) pkg yellow cake mix plus (3.4-oz) vanilla pudding mix
½ cup cold water
½ cup neutral vegetable oil
½ cup rum (such as Don Q Gold or Don Q Coco)
4 large eggs
2 cups chopped pecans
Glaze:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup rum (such as Don Q Gold or Don Q Coco)
Pinch fine sea salt
Whipped cream (optional)