Almost Tortuga Rum Cake

Whenever I see a "specialized" business, I always wonder if the employees ever get tired of the same thing day after day.  For instance, my hairdresser said it would be very boring if all her clients had long straight hair and she only cut the ends.  Chef Ramsey said when he first started out, he must have made a billion chef salads.  I guess we all hope that paying our dues with the boring stuff lets us move on to greater things. So good luck to the lady in Grand Cayman that makes all the Tortuga Rum Cakes day after day.

The Tortuga Rum Company sells the original rum cake and 3 flavors (lime, coconut and orange).  They also make some rum fudge and candies. Below is a copy cat recipe from someone that goes by the name of dewey decimal. This is a very rich cake and tastes best the day after baking.  However, if you feel like eating without baking click here

Almost Tortuga Rum Cake
Ingredients
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (cut into cubes-room temperature)
3 tbs plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Whaler's Vanilla Rum
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 (3.5 oz) package of vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Rum Soaking Glaze
1/2 cup Whalers Vanilla Rum
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Take a large bundt pan (12 cups) and spray with non-stick cooking spray, making sure all areas are coated.  Then sprinkle the chopped walnuts in the bottom of the pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Then stir in sugar.  Once combined, add in butter and 3 tbs of the vegetable oil, beating with an electric mixer on low speed.  Beat about 3 minutes until it becomes the consistency of fine gravel with equal particles. Put the eggs in the butter/flour mixture, one by one, beating after each addition.  Continue using the electric mixer and add 1/2 cup of rum, 1/2 cup of oil, vanilla extract, pudding mix and milk.  Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping down side of bowl at the halfway point.

Pour batter into pan.  Make sure batter is level and smooth on top, then place in oven for about 55 minutes or until tester comes out clean. After baking, take cake out of oven and place on cooling rack. The next step is to glaze the warm cake.

Place sugar, butter and water in a small saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil slowly, you do not want it to boil over. Instantly after it reaches a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved and it becomes a the consistency of syrup.  Take off of heat and stir in 1/2 cup of rum until evenly distributed.

While cake is still warm, pour some of the hot syrup into the cake pan and let soak in.  Continue this process until all syrup is gone. Since you do not want to flood the cake with the syrup, this may take several intervals of soaking time.

Before removing from pan, the cake must be fully cooled. Note that this cake is too delicate for transport, so it is not one to pack for a picnic or lunch.