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Rum and Pecan Spice Cake
Published: Oct 29, 2009
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From Chef John Folse & Co.
Serves 10-12. The old-fashioned spice cakes were often the base for desserts in Creole Louisiana.
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbl. vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum
Roasted pecan halves (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans with 2-inch lips. Line bottom of pans with buttered parchment paper or spray well with vegetable cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter, brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until light yellow and ribbony. Blend in vanilla. Slowly blend in all dry ingredients in three equal additions alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Blend in cinnamon, cloves and chopped pecans.
4. Divide batter equally between 2 pans. Place cakes in center of oven and bake 30–35 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack, peel off paper and cool completely.
5. For rum syrup, combine 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup rum. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved completely and syrup coats the back of the spoon. Syrup should be reduced by 25 percent. Cool slightly.
6. Using a toothpick or skewer, insert at 10-12 intervals around cake and brush with syrup. The holes let the syrup reach the center of the cake.
7. To serve, you may wish to cut into serving pieces or using a 2-inch pastry cutter, cut into circles, or frost whole cake with your favorite icing to create a layer cake. Top with roasted pecan halves.
