Friday, April 1, 2011

Guilted Into It

Each morning that our daughter drops her dogs off here on her way to work she stops for a few minutes visit. The last few mornings, she has innocently inquired . . .

"Do you have any goodie for me?"

"Did you by any chance bake anything this morning?"

"I remember when you used to love me enough to bake little treats to sustain me through a hard day's work at my office."

Okay, so maybe those haven't been her exact words but I got the drift of what she was hinting for. This morning I got up extra early and even though I'm not a cake-baker by nature, I made a favorite of hers so she would have a little bit of baked love to take to work with her.

I got this recipe out of a Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookbook at least 35 years ago, maybe more, and haven't made but a couple of small changes to it. So I give full credit to the Pillsbury people in enabling me to make at least one decent cake.

BUTTER RUM CAKE

1 cup softened butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Using a mixer, cream the butter and then gradually add the sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining ingredients. Blend very well, scraping the bowl occasionally.

Using a rubber spatula, put batter into a 10" tube pan (we used to call these angel food pans) that has been greased on the bottom only.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 60-65 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly in the center. (Here's where I wonder why I try to make cakes. I set my timer for 65 minutes this morning but the cake was not done at that time. I had to bake it 15 minutes longer before taking it from the oven. And I even have an oven thermometer in my oven so I know it's heating to the correct temp.)

Remove cake to rack. Leave it in the pan.

Near the end of the time the cake is baking in the oven, prepare the Butter Rum Sauce that will be poured over the cake.

BUTTER RUM SAUCE

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup hot water and 1/2 cup butter. Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons rum.

Okay, we've just pulled the cake out of the oven and set it on a rack. Take a fork and poke holes all over the top of the cake (which is still in the pan).

Pour Butter Rum Sauce over the still warm cake. (Because of my extra required baking time, my sauce started to cool a little and the butter started to solidify which is why you see the white glumps on top of the cake. Not to worry, it tasted just fine.)

Let the cake cool COMPLETELY before removing from pan. To remove from the pan, loosen around the edge between cake and pan and cake and center funnel shape with a table knife.

Remove from pan by inverting on a plate. (I sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top.)

The cake can easily be cut into 16 nice sized pieces.

The Butter Rum Sauce oozes down into the cake and makes the most moist, yummy, delicious piece of heaven you can get on a fork.

(If you didn't want to use the rum, you could substitute 1 tablespoon of rum flavoring.)

As you can see, this cake is not short on calories . . . but as a special treat it sure is good. And I think it made my daughter happy.

16 comments:

Sparkless said...

Oh my goodness that looks like a good cake! Thanks for posting the recipe. I may not like to cook but I love to bake.
Now I see how your diet works. You feed everyone around you scrumptious cakes so they all get fatter and in comparison you look skinnier. Ya, I could see how that would work. ;)

Erin said...

That looks delicious! I'm not much of a cake baker either, but I definitely love making rum cakes and such on the holidays, I bet she's happy you "loved her enough" today !

Alla said...

Oh my, my mouth was watering as I read your recipe and seen the pictures!! The comments sound like one of my daughters. LOL

Amy Dingmann said...

So hungry...must get to kitchen now...looks great!!

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - My hubby has accused me of that very thing . . . feeding him too much so he gains weight while I lose.

Erin - Not the "healthiest" treat I could have made her but sometimes you just gotta have one great big calorie loaded treat. And she was very appreciative.

Alla - Daughters seem to know just what to say to wheedle what they want out of us moms!

Mama Tea - You sound just like I did when I saw Erin's post with pictures of their dinner pizzas!

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Only one correction I can see...16 pieces?

I beg to differ. I only see ONE!

:o)

Chicken Mama said...

And, to date (end of first day), I have very happily consumed . . . let's see . . . 3 and 7/8 pieces. :)

meemsnyc said...

Haha, I love her "subtle" hints. This cake looks amazing.

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

I must get with Chicken Mama, and see just how this guilting thing works. I had a hankering for doughnuts, and I really dont want to be the one to make the mess to make them. But seeing how I only live with a man and some beasts, I dont think this guilt thing works on them. They are immune.

Mama Pea said...

APG - Oh, no, you would be one sick little girl if you ate that whole cake! Don't even think about it. (But wait. Then would you have an excuse not to go back to work? Hmmmm . . . )

Chicken Mama - Consumption. That's what it was meant for!

meemsnyc - Thanks! And you'll notice her "subtle" hints worked.

Jane - You are absolutely right. Some things just fail to penetrate the brain of man and beast. (Doughnuts? Hmmm, that sounds pretty good . . . )

Anonymous said...

what a good mom :)
TinaH

Mama Pea said...

TinaH - It's just what moms do! :o}

Claire said...

What a good mama! I have vivid memories of that delicious cake. ;) I remember when you used to love W's friends enough that you'd make it for them....hahahaha, just kidding!

Mama Pea said...

Claire - You made me laugh out loud with that comment. When are you coming up again, Little Girl? (Can't help it, you two will ALWAYS be my little girls.)

Jo said...

I think I may have to swing by your house on my way to work Monday. I think that cake might be worth the extra fourteen hours of driving.

Mama Pea said...

Jo - I'll be sure to save a piece for you! That's another nice thing about this cake: If you cover it with a dome cake keeper, it stays wonderfully edible for several days right on the counter. 'Cept it never seems to stick around that long in this house.