Recipe: Orange Rum Cake

Tara and I tried a number of new recipes over Christmas: cakes, cookies, main dishes. The one that stands out in my mind is this one: The Joy of Cooking's Orange Rum Cake. It is like a pound cake, but lighter. The first time we made it we omitted the rum; the second time we didn't. Both results were fantastic.

I didn't, unfortunately, snap a picture of either result. The next time I make it I will.

Orange Rum Cake

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• zest of 1 large orange, grated
• 1 1/4 cup flour (all-purpose)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 5 tbsp dark rum

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Grease a 9" round pan

With an electric mixer, mix together the sugar, salt and eggs in a large bowl for about 4 minutes until it is pale yellow

Fold in the flour and baking powder

Stir in the butter and cream

Scrape into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).

Run a knife along the edge and invert over a cooling rack. Remove pan and let cool right-way-up.

If adding the rum, poke holes with a toothpick or skewer all over the top of the cooled cake. Drizzle the rum over it.

I attempted to top with icing sugar, but the presentation wasn't terribly good as the sugar disappeared after soaking up the rum.