Golden Pineapple Rum Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (18.25 ounce) package Pillsbury yellow cake mix with pudding or box yellow cake mix and box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rum
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice reserved
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rum

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and pineapple rings evenly over bottom of the pan.

2) In large bowl, combine cake mix (and pudding mix if not using Pillsbury), eggs, 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice (if reserved juice does not equal 1/2 cup add water to achieve total liquid measure), oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts, pineapple, and coconut in pan.

3) Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

4) When cake is finished baking prepare glaze. In sauce pan combine butter, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup rum.

5) Using a spatula, gently loosen the cake from the sides and center of the pan. Pour part of the hot glaze around the edges and the inner ring of the Bundt pan. Using a chop stick (or other similar device) poke multiple holes in the top (when inverted will be bottom) of cake, pour the remaining glaze all over the top.

6) Keep the cake in the pan until completely cool so that the glaze will be absorbed. This cake is best when prepared a day or two in advance as the flavors improve with age. Do not refrigerate.

Parley

To give credit where credit is due this cake was made at the behest of one of the climbers at Vertical Ventures, Jorge. We were standing around munching my latest batch of cookies when the conversation turned to discussing the merits of cookies versus cakes. We mutually concluded that in most situations we prefer cookies as cake is usually just “okay” – that for cake to be truly good something unique has to be done with it or, in Jorge’s words, “just make a rum cake” (leave it to a Puerto Rican to make things better with rum…but I’ll admit, I’m in total agreement)! Now I would never have remembered rum cake existed if it wasn’t for this innocent conversation but as soon as it was mentioned, somewhere from the recesses of my memory arose the tantalizing recollection of eating a super moist, rum literally dripping down my fingers, amazingly flavorful slice of buttery rum cake. I have no idea where I was or who made that cake but the memory of how delicious it tasted was vivid. I determined on the spot that I would make a rum cake of my own the very next day (and of course bring it to the gym as, first, confections of this sort have been forbidden from residing at my house and second, it seemed only right that the person directly responsible for its creation could partake)!

And so the rum cake was made…and consumed…and I have found my personal nemesis in cakes, a cake that appeals to me as few others do, one that I cannot resist and therefore can never make for myself as I do believe I would sit down and eat the entire thing and gladly pay the price…yes, the lushious rum cake!