Rum Cake

2 cups and 2 teaspoons cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cup white sugar
3 level teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cold butter, diced into tiny pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small package vanilla instant pudding
½ cup milk
3 large eggs
½ cup rum
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup minced walnut pieces

Rum Cake Glaze:
½ cup butter
¼ cup water
1 cup white sugar
½ cup rum

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and prepare a Bundt pan by coating the inside with a nonstick vegetable spray. Use a large mixing bowl for the cake batter. Combine the first seven ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until well blended, then beat on low with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. The mixture will be quite dry and will crumble into small pieces.

Add the vanilla pudding, milk, eggs, rum, vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the bowl, and continue beating on low for about 3 minutes, making sure you scrape the sides down at least twice to ensure all ingredients are well blended.

Sprinkle the minced walnut pieces on the bottom of the Bundt pan, and then carefully pour the cake batter into the pan. Place the Bundt pan in the center of the oven, and bake for approximately 1 hour. Since ovens tend to vary in temperature, check the cake several times during the last 20 minutes of baking. The cake is done when it springs back when touched and has turned a golden brown. Place the pan on a cooling rack.

To make the rum cake glaze, use a medium saucepan and medium heat. Watch the mixture carefully, as it boils over easily and burns quickly. Mix the butter, water and sugar together, and mix until the sugar has dissolved. The mixture will quickly form a thick syrup. Remove the syrup from the heat before it turns brown. Immediately mix the rum into the syrup. As soon as it is well blended, pour it over the cooling cake. If you want the glaze to penetrate the cake quickly, use a toothpick to poke holes into the top and sides of the cake before you pour the glaze over it.

You can also remove the cake, pour the glaze into the pan and then put the cake back into the pan, but this can be dangerous for two reasons. The glaze is hot and can end up getting splashed on your arms as you replace the cake, and also there is danger of destroying the cake, which can be quite fragile and hard to remove from the pan a second time. The best method of glazing this cake is to remove it from the pan, poke holes in it and slowly pour ¼ of the glaze over the cake. Then wait another minute or two, and repeat until all the glaze has been absorbed.

http://www.life123.com/food/baking/cake/rum-cake-recipe.shtml