You will love this rum cake recipe.
ITALIAN RUM CAKE
FOR THE SPONGE CAKE:
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
Pinch of salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
FOR THE RUM SYRUP:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark rum
1 1/2 tsp. rum extract (optional)
TO ASSEMBLE:
Vanilla Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
Chocolate-Rum Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
sliced fresh strawberries
Icing Glaze (recipe follows)
candied cherries
nuts of choice
whipped cream (optional)
TO MAKE THE RUM SYRUP:
Boil 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water until reduced by 25% (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and cool. Stir in rum and extract
TO MAKE THE SPONGE CAKE:
Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Prepare 2 (9x3-inch) round cake pans or 2 (9-inch) springform pans with solid shortening. Line the bottom with parchment paper or wax paper.
Sift cake flour and salt onto a piece of wax paper. Then set sifter on a plate, add the flour and salt and set aside (without sifting).
Melt 6 tablespoons butter and remove any foam that rises to the surface. Pour into a medium-size bowl and set aside.
Combine 6 eggs and 1 cup granulated sugar in a large heatproof mixer bowl. Set over a pan containing water that has reached 125 degree F. Be sure water is not too hot. Whisk the egg mixture constantly until all the sugar has dissolved and eggs are light in color and the temperature has reached 110 degree F. Immediately place bowl in mixer and whip at medium high speed for 4 minutes. The mixture will triple in volume and be very thick. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and whip 3 seconds to blend. Remove bowl from mixer.
Pick up the sifter and sift approximately 2 Tbsp. of flour mixture over the eggs and carefully folding with a rubber spatula. Continue the process until all the flour is used and carefully folding until all traces of flour is blended into the egg and sugar mixture.
Add about 1 1/2 cups of egg mixture to the melted butter and fold until blended. Then fold the butter mixture into the large bowl with the egg and sugar mixture. DO NO OVERWORK THE BATTER. Pour batter in prepared pans.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the cake springs back when touched. Do not open oven the first 15 minutes. When done place pan on wire rack until cooled, and then remove cake from pan.
You can store cake in plastic wrap and foil and freeze if you do not use immediately.
TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Slice the cake horizontally into three layers. If you do not have a cake leveler, use a serrated knife.
Sprinkle the rum syrup mixture over the bottom layer until fairly moist.
Spread Vanilla Pastry Cream on the bottom layer. Add a layer of fresh strawberries.
Place the middle cake layer on the strawberries. Sprinkle the cake layer with more rum syrup until fairly moist. Spread the Chocolate-Rum Pastry Cream on top of layer. Save some for the cake sides. Place the top layer over the chocolate pastry cream.
Top the cake with icing glaze. Decorate with candied cherries on top and nuts of choice on sides. You can also finish with whipped cream.
Allow cake to sit for at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator to allow the rum to saturate.
VANILLA PASTRY CREAM
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 cups whole milk
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
On a piece of wax paper, combine the 2/3 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and salt; set aside.
In a saucepan, whisk together milk and 2 eggs.
Gather the wax paper and slowly pour dry ingredients, mixing as you pour, into the milk and egg mixture.
Set the pan over medium heat and cook for about 12 minutes until thickened and comes to a boil, stirring often for the first 5 minutes and then constantly until boiling is visible between stirring. Allow boiling for one full minute stirring constantly. Cream is done when it coats the spoon and leaves a line on the back of spoon when finger is drawn across the spoon.
Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 tablespoons butter and whisk until butter has melted.
Pour the cream through a sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed onto the cream. This will prevent a skin from forming. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.
CHOCOLATE-RUM PASTRY CREAM
4 oz. good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 recipe Vanilla Pastry Cream
3 Tbsp. rum
Melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and cool.
Prepare Vanilla Pastry Cream. Add the melted chocolate to the pastry cream before the cream is strained. Add 3 Tbsp. rum and blend. Cover the same as vanilla pasty cream.
ICING GLAZE
1 egg white*
2 cups of sifted confectioner's sugar
Beat 1 egg white and confectioner's sugar in medium bowl until very stiff. If too stiff for spreading, add a little water and beat again.
*A Note from Betsy at Recipelink:
Cooking Egg Whites for Use in Recipes - The following method can be used with any number of whites and works for chilled desserts as well as Seven-Minute Frosting, Royal Icing and other frosting recipes calling for raw egg whites.
In a heavy saucepan, the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl placed over water in a saucepan, stir together the egg whites and sugar from the recipe (at least 2 tablespoons sugar per white), water (1 teaspoon per white) and cream of tartar (1/8 teaspoon per each 2 whites). Cook over low heat or simmering water, beating constantly with a portable mixer at low speed, until the whites reach 160° F. Pour into a large bowl. Beat on high speed until the whites stand in soft peaks. Proceed with the recipe.
Note that you must use sugar to keep the whites from coagulating too rapidly. Test with a thermometer as there is no visual clue to doneness. If you use an unlined aluminum saucepan, eliminate the cream of tartar or the two will react and create an unattractive gray meringue. - Source: The American Egg Board
