Orange Pecan Rum Cake
This Trinidad sponge cake is infused with orange flavours, and soaked in a boozy rum syrup which has just the right balance of rum and sweetness.
Orange Pecan Rum Cake
We are all familiar with black cake for Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago. But, get this, I am not a fan of it! I would go for a piece of sponge cake instead. So this recipe was developed with you non-black cake lovers in mind, BUT will also satisfy those of you who are. Various parts of the Caribbean have their own versions of rum cakes which use this same technique. I decided to create a Trinidadian version which encompasses the very popular Trini sponge cake as the base, and a rum syrup infused with our very own local rum.
This Rum Cake is soft and tender on the inside and is sensationally moist on the outside. When you bite into this cake, you get that soft rum-kissed delicate cake crumb and the crunchy pecans all in one bite. It’s not one bit dry, and has a nice warmth of spices which goes so well with the rum, in such a way that it is not overpowering at all. You need to make this asap and share with all your friends and family :).
Tips for making this Rum Cake:
Use a 10-cup bundt pan. Grease and flour it well, to ensure that the cake comes out perfectly.
Any type of rum can be used in here. But I gravitated towards the limited edition White Oak Sorrel Flavoured Rum just to make this recipe even more “Christmasy” :).
All ingredients must be at room temperature.
Measure your flour using the spooning method. This is basically spooning the flour into your measuring cup and leveling it off, instead of dipping your measuring cup into the flour. This leads to a light and airy cake instead of a dense one.
Make sure and add the flour in parts, while alternating with the milk (start and end with flour). This also accentuates that tender, fluffy crumb of the cake.
Absolutely loved this rum in this cake.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 cups spooned flour
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup milk, at room temperature
For the Rum Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup white oak sorrel rum, or any favourite of yours
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method :
Preheat your oven to 350 deg F. Grease and flour your 10-cup bundt pan, and sprinkle about 1/3 of the pecans in the bottom.
Make the cake
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with your stand or hand mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add your orange extract and combine. Reduce the mixer to low and add 1/3 of the flour. Add 1/2 of the milk and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat this, ending with the final addition of the flour. Pour the batter into your bundt pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes.
Make the syrup- Heat the sugar, butter and water in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in the rum and the vanilla.
Assemble the cake: Gently invert the cake onto a plate. Poke holes around the sides and top of the cake using a fork or skewer. Pour 1/3 of the syrup into the base of the bundt pan and gently put the cake back in. Pour the rest of the syrup over the entire top of the cake, making sure you get to the edges. Allow it to cool for at least 1 hour. After it has completely cooled, gently invert it onto a serving platter or plate. Cut and enjoy!
Store in the refrigerator if not eating right away.
