Festive, yet refreshingly different, this spiced orange rum cake is easy to make but requires one to two days to sit, to allow the flavors to deepen. Trust me, it’s worth the wait. Also, note some of the brown sugar and the rum is reserved for the pour over, after baking and for the glaze, so read carefully. For the most zing to your zest, pick the ripest, most aromatic oranges (mandarins work well) and lemons you can find.
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup orange juice, strained, fresh
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 5 drops orange food coloring (optional)
For glaze:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon rum
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and one cup sugar with electric mixer. Add orange and lemon peel, then spices, adding one at a time and then mixing until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each until thoroughly blended. At a low speed, add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in walnuts and combine with spatula. Spread batter evenly in well-greased Bundt pan. Bake in center of preheated 350° F (175° C) oven for about 55 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean, and cake shrinks slightly from sides of pan and surface springs back when pressed lightly with finger. Cool pan slightly on rack. In saucepan, mix juices, the remaining one cup sugar and two tablespoons rum. Bring to a boil, then pour carefully over cake in pan. Cool, cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in pan a day or two before serving. Remove cake from Bundt pan by carefully knifing around the sides of the pan. Cover pan with a large cake dish and invert. Prior to serving, prepare glaze. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add rum and powdered sugar a little at a time while whisking well. Whisk constantly for three minutes. Move to a cool burner and let sit for one minute. Mixture should be a stiff glaze. If the glaze is too thick, you can thin it with a bit of milk. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze all over the cake in a random pattern. Let sit until the glaze has hardened, about 10 minutes. Serve.
