Last night as I was going through my drafts folder trying to decide what to blog about today, I realized I was down to just 3 sweet recipes (make that 2 after today). Meanwhile, the savory folder was completely overflowing. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day when that happened! As you guys know, I love to bake and sweets tend to be about 75% of what appears on the blog. When I thought about it though, it made sense. I’ve made a few batches of ice cream in the past week or two, but otherwise, have had very little motivation to bake. I think it’s because (a) we’ve been busier than usual so there’s been less time for baking, and (b) we’re in that weird in between the seasons phase – I’m not quite ready to bake with apples and pumpkin (though I will confess to having done so once already) but the summer produce either doesn’t excite me anymore, or just looks terrible when I’m at the store shopping.
Fortunately, chocolate knows no season in my book, so it’s always a good option π I actually baked this bundt cake last month in honor of National Rum Day. I rarely drink rum, but I love the smell – it always brings back memories of the Caribbean cruises we’ve taken. The coffee and rum flavors in the cake aren’t distinct once it’s baked, they really just make the chocolate taste more complex. If you want a stronger rum flavor, some of the reviewers noted that they decreased the coffee to 1 1/3 cups and increased the rum to 1 full cup. Some even used coffee liqueur in place of the coffee so there are definitely options for playing around here. The chocolate cake is unbelievably moist, and even better (at least in my opinion) after a day in the fridge. I shipped this one off to work with Shane and he returned with an empty plate so I’d say it was a hit.
Mocha Rum Bundt Cake
from Gourmet, January 1994 (via Epicurious)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup dark rum
2 cups strong brewed coffee
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the chocolate and butter to the metal bowl of your stand mixer and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and attach to the mixer, which should be fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in the rum, coffee and sugar, beating until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture, a little at a time, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until the batter is well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before turning it out. Store the cake, well wrapped, in the refrigerator.
I made the glaze from this recipe for the cake (not sure why it looks so different on the two cakes) but you can simply dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar to make life easier.
This looks delicious and gorgeous! Can I just say how impressed I am that you are managing getting EXTRA posts out with the Emeril party going on? I can barely keep up with those! π
Mmm, that looks fabulous. And I love that cake stand! I really need to get one.
Gorgeous!!! really pretty, it will suit a bridal shower party, very chic! I assume it tastes amazing too!!! π
i miss my momma’s bundt pan! so gorgeous!
I’m with you. Chocolate can be baked any season!! This cake sounds lovely.
yum looks delish π i love your blog!
ha I am so with you….sometimes I wonder if my readers think all I ever eat is dessert π Excited to see what savory recipes you’ll share!
Oh, I could go for a slice of that right now. All my favorite things!
Wow, this looks and sounds incredible!! Great flavor combo!
Bundt cake! I have’t thought of bundt cake in years. My mom used to make the best bundt cake…one was vanilla with a chocolate centre, OMG it was good. We used to have it for breakfast with milk poured over it (I know, how bad is that?) A nice trip down memory lane, thanks! Great recipe too!
I, too, love the smell of rum. I like the taste in baked goods fairly well, but the smell is what makes me want to bake with it. And it’s a very moist-looking cake. Thanks for posting.
rum + chocolate + coffee = heaven! Gorgeous photo too!
This would disappear in our house, too! So beautiful!!!
Chocolate is always in season for me! This looks delicious!
That cake looks wonderful! I guess it’s time to make some more sweets. No apples or pumpkins for me until it’s officially fall (though Josh’s mom bought a ton of apples at the farmer’s market and I can’t say no to free produce so I did make one cake).
Somehow cooking a cake in the bundt pan makes it taste better too! It’s all that cuteness going on…
What a pretty cake, and it sounds like a heavenly flavor profile! Down to your last two sweets posts? Time to fire up that oven (or the ice cream freezer) – it’s always fun to see what you post, Tracey.
Thank you for the sweet comments on my blog! Will definitely be sharing all the good details about the photo workshop. π
Your cake looks gorgeous with the white glaze dripping down the dark chocolate cake and perched on that pretty white cake stand. Really stunning. Makes me want a piece, even though I don’t really like mocha or liquor in my baked goods. π
Booze, CHOCOLATE… I’m there! Very visually appealing too! Great job lady! π
Oh, this cake combines everything I love. Can’t wait to give it a try!!
I’m the opposite, my sweet drafts are overflowing and my savory are in need of more. Well, looks like I’ll be adding another sweet to the list. This looks perfect for the fall/Christmas season!
I made this cake last week, it’s so delicious! Definitely will make it again!
This was one of the best tasting cakes I have ever made. I upped the rum to 1/2 cup and cut back on the coffee to compensate. I agree with some comments on Epicurious that it doesn’t have a strong mocha flavor, so I may use espresso next time. The one thing I was not prepared for was how it stuck to the Bundt. I really coated the non-stick pan heavily but it is so moist it wasn’t enough. I think next time I will use shortening and cocoa. And believe me…there will be a next time.