Holiday Rum Cake

How about a lovely aromatic rum cake for the upcoming holidays?  This is basically a pound cake yet redolent with just the right amount of dark rum to pique your palate.  Should you want a more intense confection, poke a few small holes in the finished cake and brush on a little more rum.  Adorn with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
½ t salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
3 yolks from large eggs
2 t vanilla extract
½ cup quality dark rum
Powdered sugar and/or whipped cream for topping

Directions
1. Adjust rack to lower third of the oven and heat to 325 degrees.
2. Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and affix paddle attachment.  Add butter and beat on lowest speed until well mixed. 
3.  In another bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and rum, mixing well.
4. Add 1/3 of the wet ingredients to the stand mixer bowl and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Scrape down bowl.
5. Add another 1/3 to the mixer and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down bowl again.
6. Add final 1/3, beat and scrape as before. 
7. Scrape batter into a buttered and floured 12-cup Bundt pan, smooth top and place in oven.
8. Bake for about an hour to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted between edge and center of pan comes out clean.  There may be a few dry crumbs attached.

9. Let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, then invert and release from pan to continue cooling.  Dust with powdered sugar and/or add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving. 
10. Store by wrapping in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.

Photos by Michael Kirigin