Ah…rum. Have I mentioned my preference for this gloriously rich liquid beauty? There is just something about its versatility which makes it all the more appealing. The fact that I can drink it…and eat it…rates it right up there with winning the lottery and watching The Thunder from Down Under. Pretty high marks.

Rum became my drink du’jour after some pretty ugly arguments between me and Tequila. Vodka likes to jump in and start trouble every once in a while, but Rum? Nah. Rum knows when it’s welcome and when it needs to just back off. (I feel I should add here that I am not really a heavy drinker. I’m not even really a moderate drinker. I do, however, enjoy an occasional drink. Sometimes more than one. Or two. Usually that’s it. Unless it’s been a particularly hectic week. Or Halley’s Comet is crossing the atmosphere. Or it’s Tuesday. Then, maybe I have three.)

I made this rum cake last Spring with the intentions of taking it to a friend’s house for dessert. The party got cancelled and we were left high and (not so) dry with this rum cake, all to ourselves. Fifteen minutes alone with this little baby and neither Jer nor I cared one hoot about the missed dinner party. This is one of those desserts that truly gets better the longer it rests. The sweetness of the rum intensifies while the alcoholic flavor subtles out leaving a very moist, rich cake. With rum in it. And a rum glaze. Seriously, could you imagine eating this cake while watching the Thunder from Down Under?

So here’s the recipe. I strongly suggest you give Golden Rum Cake a try. Unless you don’t like cake. Or even worse, rum. In which case, I pity you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 pkg. golden yellow cake mix
• 1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup dark rum (oh, come to mama)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup dark rum (yes, please)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10 in bundt pan with Pam baking spray. Sprinkle chopped nuts into the bottom of prepared pan.
2. Ina large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend together. Pour mixture into pan over the nuts (hehehe).
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven, or until cake is done. Let the cake cool and then turn out onto serving plate.
4. Prepare glaze: in a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup water, and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until glaze reaches desired consistency. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup rum.
5. Brush glaze over cooled cake. You can also reserve some to pour over individually served pieces.

This cake is unbelievably good. Make sure to not overcook because a dry rum cake is not a happy rum cake.

Happy Holidays, Mindy