Rum Cake

It is the winter holidays, and school is out. Dad is stationed in  Calcutta. Dad and Mom’s social life is pretty hectic. Nanny watches us like a hawk when they are out for cocktails, dinner, or at the club.

Daniel, our cook, is prepping for a pre-Christmas party. Some of us, older siblings, have helped him beat the eggs for the vanilla cake and are fascinated as he slowly places the cake in a large round tin half filled with sand sitting on top of the sigiri (a clay stove fueled with coal).

Daniel tests to see if the sand is hot enough. He then slowly sets the cake pan in the middle of the drum on top of the sand. He then covers it with a fitted lid and places hot coal on top. This way of cooking was the method that Daniel preferred to use to bake our cakes, and they always turned out delicious.

In those days, other than clubs, restaurants, and military dining halls, ovens (other than tandooris) were not widely used in Indian homes since most Indian cuisine did not require it. The local bakeries, schooled under the British Raj with recipes handed down for generations, baked some of the best pastries and cakes I have ever eaten. They would also oblige families by baking any homemade cakes in their ovens upon request—and for a fee, of course!

With time, stovetop and small electric ovens found their way into homes. Baking ovens have now become a necessity in most urban Indian homes.

I used to bake cakes from scratch, but when I moved to the US, I  took the easy way out and used packaged cake mixes. The one that I like best is the Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix. My twin was in town one holiday season when I prepared to bake the cake. She suggested I substitute some water with rum and fix a rum cake.

The Rum Cake became a big hit at potlucks, church gatherings, dinners, and as baked gifts to my neighbors for Christmas. Thank you, Twin!

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Rum Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

A delicious, festive, super moist yellow cake drizzled with rum!

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix (I like Betty Crocker's Super Moist Yellow Cake or Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Deliciously Moist Cake)
• ½ cup vegetable oil (Please check the instructions on box to see the exact amount of oil needed as it may differ)
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup rum (Ensure it is an excellent strong rum, white or dark)
• powdered sugar (for dusting the cake - more or less, per your taste)
• dash cake sprinkles

Instructions 

Yellow Cake

• Prepare according to the instructions on the box.
• Keep an eye on the cake towards the end to ensure it does not dry out. I generally stick a bamboo skewer into it 5 minutes before the bake time. If it comes out clean, I remove it from the oven and allow it to cool.
• Once cool, dust it with the powdered sugar and decorate the top with sprinkles. 

Notes

Where the recipe on the box indicates adding water, substitute it for ¼ cup of the water with a ¼ cup of rum (I've already done this in the recipe above).

Sometimes, my twin will make a Buttercream frosting or rum drizzle.

Buttercream Frosting

Check Wilton's easy recipe. Click the link here: Best Homemade Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Buttercream Rum Drizzle

1 cup Buttercream Frosting

¼ cup rum

Heat the cup of buttercream frosting in a saucepan on low heat. When it starts to bubble, add the rum. Be careful as the rum makes the frosting bubble up.

Stir and drizzle it over the cooled cake.     

When I prepare the drizzle, I take a cup of store-bought frosting and zap it in the microwave for less than a minute. Remove from the microwave, and add the rum. Stir and drizzle the mixture over the cake.

I do prefer the light sugar dusting!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, British

Keyword: Christmas, rum, yellow cake