Apple Rum Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tart apples, peeled, halved, cored, and sliced about 1/8 inch thick (granny smith)
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark rum

Recipe

• 1 line bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper; butter parchment paper and sides of pan.
• 2 set a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 350°.
• 3 combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl (glass or stainless); let stand while you prepare the batter.
• 4 in another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well and set aside.
• 5 in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• 6 beat in the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
• 7 beat in vanilla; using a rubber spatula, fold in half the flour mixture.
• 8 drain the apples in a colander set over a bowl; add the milk to any rum that drains into the bowl and stir the liquids into the batter, then fold in the remaining flour mixture.
• 9 spread half the cake batter evenly in the prepared pan; scatter with the sliced apple mixture.
• 10 scrape remaining batter onto the filling and smooth out.
• 11 slide a foil-lined cookie sheet onto the rack below the middle one to catch any drips.
• 12 bake for 55-65 minutes or until cake is risen, firm, and deep golden and the apples are cooked through and tender.
• 13 let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then loosen the cake by running a sharp paring knife around the inside of the pan, scraping the knife against the pan, not the cake.
• 14 remove the sides and slide the cake off the base to a rack to finish cooling.
• 15 when the cake has cooled completely, invert the cake onto a plate, remove the paper, and invert the cake onto the rack again so it is right side up.
• 16 make the glaze: stir together the powdered sugar and rum in a small saucepan; mix well.
• 17 place over medium heat until warm and fluid.
• 18 drizzle half the glaze over the top of the cake in a series of parallel lines.
• 19 rewarm the glaze if necessary and drizzle another series of lines on a diagonal to the first ones.
• 20 wait until the glaze dries, then slide the cake onto a platter.
• 21 serve with ice cream or whipped cream; this cake is best served on the day it is made.