Coconut Lime Rum Cake

(ovolacto, gluten-free or gluten-full)

My mother, of blessed memory, used to make rum cakes for special occasions when I was a young boy. This buttery cake with the warm alcoholic kick became one of my very, very favorite cakes, and I lamented that she only made them on rare occasions. Many decades later, while vacationing in the American Virgin Islands, I tasted an authentic island rum cake and discovered that my mother’s Midwest version held up pretty well in comparison. Points to my mother.

I’d like to think that she would have loved my new take on this Caribbean favorite, especially since I think she also introduced me to key lime pie. Which, coincidently, is one of my very, very favorite pies.

Although my original recipe was made with gluten-containing wheat flour, the rum cake can also be made gluten-free, and it comes out incredibly well. I have included both gluten-full and gluten-free cake recipes below. Make this cake at your next party, and your celiac friends will love you forever. Of course, they may slur their words a bit while expressing their love, but if you are like me, you will take any validation you can get.

INGREDIENTS

Cake (gluten-full)

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¾ cup well-stirred sweetened cream of coconut such as Coco López
• 2 tablespoons rum

Cake (gluten-free)

• 1¼ cups GOOD gluten-free baking flour (I recommend Better Batter or America’s Test Kitchen recipe) plus extra to prepare pan
• 1¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (if not in baking flour)
• 1½ teaspoons baking flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¾ cup well-stirred sweetened cream of coconut such as Coco López
• 2 tablespoons rum

Rum Syrup

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• juice of one lime
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup rum

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter cake pan, coat pan with a little flour, and tap out excess flour.

Whisk together flour, xanthan gum (for gf cake), baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer, Mix together whole eggs and yolks, sugar, vanilla, rum, cream cheese (for gf cake), and Coco López in a large bowl until smooth. Pour in melted butter in a smooth stream and mix until just combined. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Pour into cake pan and rap pan on counter to expel air bubbles.

Bake until golden brown and cake starts to pull away from side of pan, about 45 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare the rum syrup. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, add the sugar, water, lime juice, coconut, and pinch of salt. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the rum. Once it is mixed in, return the pan to medium heat for about 30 seconds.

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately pour about one quarter of the rum syrup over the bottom of the cake. Pour slowly so the sauce has time to seep into the cake. Cool the cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool 10 minutes more. Once cool, carefully cake from Bundt pan. Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top and sides of the cake. Slowly pour the remaining syrup over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. If any of the syrup pools at the bottom, scoop it up with a small spoon and repour over top of cake.