Almost Tortuga Rum Cake

Have you been to the Caribbean? Then you’ve seen this cake.  It’s a hexagonal gold box that holds the most unbelievable cake in the world (in my opinion).  That’s saying a lot for someone who prefers beer and wine to any type of spirit especially rum, which I do not like at all.

So you’re probably wondering why I would want to make this cake.  I mean it’s got rum in it and a lot of it.  Well.  Have you ever had a flavour pop into your mind and you can’t get rid of it.  Well that’s what happened this week.  At first it was just a minor thought.  I was looking at pictures from when I was in Grande Cayman with my parents back in university. Oh the things you find when cleaning :)

I was remembering all kinds of things and then this cake came to mind.  Then that thought grew and grew and I was obsessed.  I first scoured the recipes for rum cakes but none of them were right.  I then remembered what the box looked like and searched for it that way. 

Ok, some of you are wondering how the heck do you remember what it looks like.  Well I have a photographic memory.  My brain actually takes a picture.  Sadly the words maybe hazy, so it was crap for school, but I remember shapes, colours, locations etc.  I remember the strangest things from the past, that usually most of my friends hate me for remembering.  Hence remembering the colour and type of box of a cake I tasted twenty years ago.

Once I found the actual cake, I then started a look-see for a wanna-be recipe.  So I admit I full out took this recipe and repeated it.  Thanks to Heart’N Soul who posted on Food.com.

Recipe: Rum Cake (serves 12)

• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter , cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (3 ½ ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
• ½ cup milk
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup Vanilla rum
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rum soaking Glaze

• ½ cup butter (do not substitute)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup Vanilla Rum

1. Combine in large mixing bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and oil.  It should look like fine oatmeal.
2. Add remaining ingredients.  The batter should be really smooth.
3. Preheat oven to 325.  Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
4. Bake for 55 minutes. 
5. Remove from oven.  While cooling make the glaze.
6. In medium sauce pan, combine all glaze ingredients and bring to boil.
7. Once sugar is completely dissolved, slowly pour over warm cake.  All of the glaze goes into the cake.
8. Let cake completely cool and invert pan onto serving plate.
9. Slice and enjoy.

Nutritional Data per serving: Calories: 628.4; Carbs: 68.8g; Fat: 33.2g; Protein: 5.2g

Can I say that I’m in love with this cake?  OMG so good. I forced Rob to take it to work because I would eat the entire cake.  It didn’t make the first hour after he dropped it the kitchen.

I will most definitely make this again and again and again!  Sadly my waist line will hate me every time I make it because it’s really one of my higher calorie/fat treats I’ve made.  Sorry :)

So if you’ve never had the pleasure of hanging in the beautiful Caribbean, I suggest making this cake whilst hanging out in the sun, sitting in or beside your blow up pool with a recording of ocean waves playing on your iPod.  It’ll be just like being there :)

Thank for looking!