Although we always say ā€˜no giftsā€™, it is kinda nice ans sweet when someone brings you a little something when out celebrating your birthday with friends. And sometimes a little something can reveal itself to be a big experience. During my last birthday my friend Lisa gave me a small boxed Tortuga Rum Cake with coconut. It was really unexpected sentiment but so appreciated.

I knew of these cakes but I had never tried them. OMG it was so freaking awesome, perhaps one of the best cakes I have ever tasted in my life. Just soaking in rum! So for once, when the Creative Cooking Crewā€™s October theme ā€“ cooking with spirits ā€“ was announced, it was aĀ no brainer decision: I had to recreate my own Caribbean Rum Cake with Coconut.

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Traditionally, the real recipe from the Cayman Islands is made with Tortuga Rum. Tortuga rum is not native to the island, it is actually a blend of Jamaican Rum and Barbados Rum. The rum is blended in a distillery in the Cayman Islands. The company was started by a Jamaican pilot working for Cayman Airways. The Tortuga rum cake was created by the pilotā€™s wife in 1987. The recipe itself is a secret of course.

So I stuck with the tried and true common Tortuga copycat recipe found all over the internet. The only change I did was to add shredded coconut to the batter.

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So how did it turn out? MyĀ Caribbean Rum Cake with Coconut was absolutely wonderful and so boozy. Friends and co-workers tasted it and it was declared a hit all round. How did it compare to the boxed cake I received as a gift? The gifted one was better, truly in a class of its own. So basically I leave you no choice: you must make this cake to taste AND get your hands on the real deal to compare for yourself. Sorry!

Caribbean Rum Cake with Coconut

Ingredients
Ā Ā 

For The Cake

  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter cut into bits
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 3 1/2 ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup golden rum
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup desicated coconut

Rum soaking Glaze

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup golden rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
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For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, and 3 tablespoons oil. On low speed combine ingredients until the mix is the consistency of cornmeal.
  • Spray or oil a large Bundt pan and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on the bottom evenly.
  • To the dry mix add the pudding mix, milk, eggs, rum, 1/2 cup oil, and vanilla extract.
  • Combine on medium speed with electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, scrape down the bowl halfway through, until the batter is very smooth. Mix in the coconut quickly with the mixer.
  • Pour into Bundt pan and bake for about 55 minutes- until fully golden and tester comes out clean and cake springs back. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Rum Soaking Glaze

  • Combine butter, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly and reduce to a simmer until sugar is dissolved and syrup is a little thicker. Remove from the heat and add the rum and vanilla, mix to combine.
  • Pour a little bit of the hot syrup at a time on top of the cooling cake, allowing it time to soak in. Continue until all of the syrup is added.
  • Cool and leave in pan overnight covered. Turning cake out gently onto a serving plate.

Thank you Lazaro Cooks and Foodalogue for this monthā€™s fun challenge. Check out what the other members have created on our Pinterest board by clicking on the banner below.

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