Rum-n-Raisin Pound Cake with Rum Butter Syrup

Or my cheat Boozy Christmas Cake

When my brother and I were little, my mom used to run a greeting card & gift store. Some of the most fun times were when she would let us sit in the store after school, pretending to help but actually making more of a mess of everything. We would go ballistic with the old-school price gun – pasting ridiculous prices on each others clothes or faces. The other used to be helping with the window display for festive season, specially Valentine’s Day, Diwali and Christmas. To begin the Christmas window, we would begin with multiple rolls cotton wool, making the snow, followed by the tree decorations, gifts and other hangings and buntings. It always looked so pretty and festive.

My memories of Christmas, growing up, are very specific. Beginning with the Christmas window displays. Visiting one or the other of my parents Christian friends and finding gifts placed for us under their trees. A book gifted every single year at Christmas from my beloved Pakhi mashi. Being allowed small portions of mulled wine, somewhere in my mid-teens. Visiting Pune and staying with friends for Christmas, attending mid-night Christmas Mass with them, sneaking away after to attend the annual Christmas Eve parties and waking up in time for tea, kulkuls and presents.

We went through a brief phase of putting up our own tree at home as well, but then we just got busy (read, lazy). We still have tons of invites every year for lunch and dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and always come back with lots of delicious cake.

I have always loved traditional Christmas cake. I don’t mean like. I mean absolutely and unconditionally L.O.V.E. And because we have so many Christian friends, we always get to sample all their recipes and cakes. I’ve made the cake a few times, using recipes from my mom’s friends but I often get lazy. Not because it’s difficult, but because I was once told that it was all about the fruit-soaking (soaking dried fruit and peel in alcohol, usually rum). Some of them soak the dried fruits for about 3-4 months. Others soak them for a whole year, removing fruits for this year’s cake and soaking for next year at the same time. That brings in a whole new level of potency to the cake! But I can never remember to soak fruits in time and I refuse to do half measures.

So I discovered an amazing cheat! I make this boozy rum-n-raisin cake instead. It needs a minimum of 1 hour soak and maximum of whatever-you-like! It’s not a traditional Christmas cake, but it does the trick for me in a pinch. And raisins are always more easily available at home or the corner shop, at the last minute, rather than the mixed dry fruit and peel needed for a Christmas cake.

I found a few recipes online and adapted this version mostly from Epicurious and The Brown Eyed Baker‘s versions. I made it 2-3 years ago for the first time, on our wedding anniversary because AK loves raisins. I’m usually not a fan but, in this case, I always make an exception. In addition to the incredibly large amount of raisins in the cake, I also add in a whole lot of chocolate chips and chopped cashew nuts. What with the rum-soaked raisins and the generous dose of rum-butter syrup, the cake packs quite a boozy punch. It’s definitely not for the lighthearted.

The last time I made it was this past Christmas Eve but I just couldn’t post this until now – we left for an assignment to Jaipur on Christmas Day and have been caught up since. So here it is, belated as ever. I hope you had a Merry Christmas and that you’ll have a wonderful 2017 ahead – full of love, delicious food and adventure.

Here’s what I used for a 10 cup bundt pan:

For the Cake:
1.5 cups raisins
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup cold brew coffee (or brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature) – optional

2-1/4 cup all purpose Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1-2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

5 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Generous handful chopped cashew nuts

For the Rum Butter Syrup:

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup dark rum

Here’s how I made it:

An hour before I was ready to bake, I soaked the raisins in rum & coffee. If you’re not using the coffee, then you can just omit and soak the raisins in just the rum.

I turned on the oven to pre-heat at 180° C. Then I got my bundt pan ready by brushing it well with melted butter and dusting it with flour.

In a bowl, I added the flour, baking powder and salt and whisked them until combined. I put this aside. In the bowl of my mixer, I added the brown sugar and the butter and beat them on high speed until pale and fluffy.

Then I added the eggs, 2 at a time, and beat well between additions until incorporated. I also added the vanilla extract along with the last egg.

Next, I added the flour mixture in 2 batches. For the second time, I removed it from the mixer and folded it in using a spatula just until there were no floury streaks left. don’t over-mix at this point.

Then I added in the drained raisins (rum-coffee liquid reserved), the chocolate chips and the cashews. I added a few tablespoons of the liquid to loosen up the mixture, until it was at dropping consistency. Make sure you only add as much liquid as necessary to get the right consistency. Reserve the rest for the syrup – don’t feel compelled to finish it all.

I spooned this into the prepared pan, levelled the top and popped it in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre came out clean.

While the cake was in the oven, I made the syrup so that it would cool down to room temperature by the time the cake was done.

First, I cubed the butter and placed it in a heavy bottomed pan. Placing it on medium heat, I allowed it to melt.

Once it melted, I added the brown sugar and continued to heat & stirred it until all the sugar melted and became a thick sticky mass. Reducing the heat to minimum, I let it bubble away for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turning the heat off, I added in the rum as well as the reserved rum-coffee liquid and whisked until it was incorporated into the syrup. If you didn’t add the coffee into the raisins, then you may not have much liquid left. In which case, you should add 1/4 cup of water along with the rum to get the right consistency of syrup.

I kept this aside and let it cool to room temperature. Once the cake was done, I pulled it out of the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 mins.

After 5 minutes, I loosened the sides using the back of a knife and poked multiple holes in it using a skewer. The secret to making this cake a success is 2 pronged – poking plenty of holes to soak in the syrup and pouring the syrup very slowly, by the spoonful, so that it soaks in nice and easy.

I poured about 1/3 of the syrup straight away. I let it soak for 10 minutes before upturning the cake onto a tray or a cooling rack, poking many more holes in it and pouring the rest of the syrup.

Let it cool to room temperature before slicing and serving it, as is or with some whipped cream or ice cream. I usually like it as is.

It keeps beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or more. Although, I doubt it will last that long in your home because it sure as hell doesn’t in mine!

I hope you don’t wait until next Christmas to try this out because I know for sure it will become as big a hit in your home as it is in mine. Take my word for it!

Happy New Year to you all. Have a fabulous 2017.

[wpanchor id=”rum”]Recipe for Rum-n-Raisin Pound Cake with Rum Butter Syrup

Rum-n-Raisin Pound Cake with Rum Butter Syrup

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

An easy, boozy pound cake full of rum, raisins, chocolate and nuts. An easy cheat's Christmas cake.

Author: Praerna

Recipe type: Cakes

Cuisine: Western

Yield: Serves 12

Ingredients

For the Cake:
1.5 cups raisins
½ cup dark rum
½ cup cold brew coffee (or brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature) - optional
2-1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1-1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1-2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Generous handful chopped cashew nuts
For the Rum Butter Syrup:
¾ cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
Pinch salt
½ cup dark rum
Equipment Used:
Stand Mixer (buy here)
Bundt Pan (buy here)
Silicon Spatula (buy here)

Instructions

Soak the raisins in the rum and coffee and let them sit for 1 hour or overnight.
When ready to bake, turn on the oven to pre-heat at 180°C and set the rack in the middle.
Prepare the bundt pan by brushing it well with melted butter and dusting with flour.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the butter and sugar together and beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs, 2 at a time, and beat well between each addition. Add the vanilla extract along with the last egg and beat until well incorporated.
Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, folding gently using a spatula just until no floury streaks remain. Do not over-mix.
Add the drained raisins (reserve the liquid), chocolate chips and chopped cashew nuts and mix. If required, add a few tablespoons of the rum-coffee liquid to loosen the batter so that it's at dropping consistency.
Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, level and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the Rum Butter Syrup.
Cube the butter and place in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Set on medium heat allow the butter to melt.
Add the sugar and whisk until it melts and mixes with the butter, making a thick, sticky, caramel-y mixture. Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and add the rum as well as the reserved rum-coffee liquid and whisk well until combined. If you didn't use the coffee then you may not have any liquid left - in this case add ¼ cup of water along with the rum. Allow this to cool to room temperature.
Once the cake is done, pull it out of the oven and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Using the back of a knife, loosen the cake from the pan and poke plenty of holes all over the surface using a skewer.
Pour ⅓ of the syrup very slowly over the cake. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before upturning onto a cake plate or cooling rack.
Once it's been upturned, poke many more holes. Pour the rest of the syrup, slowly and by the spoonful until it has all been absorbed.
Allow it to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving the cake.
Store at room temperature in an airtight box for 7-10 days.

Please note that this post has affiliate links and if you buy products using these links, it will help support the blog. I will only recommend products that I personally use and/or trust for my family.