Everybody is going gang-busters over my mom’s rum cake; she is already baking the second one and this only our second day here. This recipe comes from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (?!) This cake has beautiful presentation, so it’s great one for special dinners or to bring to somebody’s house.
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts
1 18 1/2 oz pkg yellow cake mix
1 3-3/4 oz pkg vanilla instant pudding & pie mix
4 eggs
1/2 c cold water (my mom uses only 1/4 c)
1/2 c rum
GlazeÂ
1/4 butter
1/4 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 rum
Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan. Sprinke nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake one hour. Cool. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with toothpick. Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum. Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze.
[My mom pours on the glaze while it’s still in the bundt pan and does not make holes… then inverts it when the cake is cool.]