rum soaked vanilla cakes... three ways

well hi there! today i'm bringing you a sweet treat for a cold day, well... that's a lie... because any day will do for these bad boys... i'm talking about sweet, buttery pound cakes that have been well fed and fattened up with some seriously good aged dark rum... how's that sound... interested?? you should be... these are some serious good eats...

i haven't made a pound cake in a while, but this recipe yielded a delicious and moist cake with a nice tight crumb... wanna know something, i just started giggling to myself... that sentence kinda sounds dirty... if you knew me, you'd know my sense of humor is a bit on the naughty side...

ahhh... but back to the cakes... what is so great about this recipe, is that it is very versatile... you can jazz it up, and flavor it in many different ways... so if you're in the mood for a simply delicious pound cake, with a bit of a naughty side, whip up these bad boys... and make sure you give them a nice soak in that rum bath... you'll be happy you did :)
rum soaked vanilla cakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 1/3 cups of sugar
2 plump, moist vanilla beans, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2/3 cup of heavy cream
2 1/2 tbsps dark rum
1 stick plus 7 tablespoons (15 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
for the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum, and go for the good stuff :)

prepping and getting ready:
1. center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-x-2 1/2 -inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess, (even if the pans are nonstick, it’s a good idea to butter and flour them)... then place the pans on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular sheets stacked one on top of the other

directions:
1. sift the flour, baking powder and salt together
2. put the sugar and the pulp from the vanilla beans, if using them, in a large bowl and, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of vanilla, (if you are using vanilla extract, add it later, after you’ve added the eggs)
3. add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated
4. whisk in the extract, if you are using it, then whisk in the cream, followed by the rum
5. continuing with the whisk or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick
6. finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, then pour the batter into the pans, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula.
7. bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, (as soon as the cakes go into the oven, make the syrup)
8. after about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color–if they are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents


meanwhile, it's time to make the syrup and soak the cakes:
1. stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil
2. remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum, then pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool
3. when the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before un-molding them and turning them right side up on the rack, place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer, cake tester or thin-blade sharp knife, poke holes all over the cakes
4. then GENEROUSLY :) brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up, and then leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature

now, since this recipe makes two nice sized, and devilishly delicious pound cakes, i had to jazz them up a little... i took one and made it into a espresso and Kahlua soaked dream... tiramisu... it certainly was a booze cake if ever there was one...

and then, i had to go classic, strawberry shortcake style... layers of rum soaked goodness, sweet vanilla whipped cream and honey-balsamic soaked strawberries.... amazing :)

hope you enjoyed this bit of boozy sweetness!

and as always... happy baking everyone!