French Almond Rum Cake

Engrossed.  That is the word that I would use to describe my life in December.  Engrossed in sprinkles, in icing, in cake batter, in buttercream and in chocolate. 🧁I did a whole lot of baking but only about a very small percentage of all the deliciousness that was created in my kitchen last month was actually consumed by my own family.  (It must be torture to live in my house.)  😂 

Since I didn't do any Christmas baking for myself during the holidays, I've decided to do my holiday baking now.  So here we go - Christmas Rum Cake in January.  (This is fair warning that I won't be posting Valentine's Day cookie recipes until March either. ♥️😂)  Anyone want to join me in baking a delicious boozy cake during this less hectic month when we actually have the time to sit down and enjoy it?   And we can all agree that the best place to spend a chilly January afternoon is in the kitchen - baking a cake.   

I was a bit apprehensive about making this cake because when I hear Rum Cake, I picture a soggy boxed mix cake saturated with alcohol.  I'm not averse to boozy cakes, I just don't want the flavor of the alcohol to overpower the taste of the cake.   

A homemade almond cake baked with a hearty dose of rum and drizzled with a lemon glaze seemed like the perfect way to reinvent the traditional Rum Cake. I found this recipe in an issue of Cook's Illustrated.   They are genius at revamping recipes to create new and better versions of the original.  

French Almond Rum Cake
1 cup butter
6 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour
6 Tablespoons dark rum

Syrup
3 Tablespoons white sugar
1 Tablespoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup dark rum

Glaze and Garnish
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Beat butter, sugar and lemon zest in standing mixer until light and fluffy.

Add almond flour and salt and beat until combined.

Gradually add eggs with mixer running and beat 3 minutes. 

Beat in flour and rum until just combined.

Pour into a greased 9" round cake pan or fill greased mini bundt pan.

Bake 50-55 minutes at 350 for 9" cake and 20 minutes for mini bundt cakes.

Combine sugar, 1/3 c. water, allspice and peppercorns in large saucepan.  

Bring to a boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in rum.

Bring to a simmer and cook 2 minutes.  Pour mixture through a strainer. 

Let cake cool 5 minutes in pan.  Invert onto wire rack.  

Brush sides and bottom of cake with syrup.  Cool 1 hour.  

Whisk together powdered sugar, salt and lemon juice until the consistency of yogurt.  

Pour glaze onto center of cake and spread to edges with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.   Let stand 1 hour for glaze to set. ​

The original recipe was baked in a 9" round cake pan.  Individual mini bundt cakes seemed more appropriate for the event that I wanted to take these to though.  So voila!  Almond Rum Cakelets!!  As an added bonus, our house was smelled AMAZING while there were baking.  I can think of no better way to kick off 2020!

Ciao!

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