The Covered Dish - Rum Chata Rum Cake

Early Fall Rum Cake? Why not, tis the season! The cooler temperatures are definitely an incentive for a return to baking.
Time for creativity, and possibly a new exercise program, in the event we do too much baking. Wait, not necessary, keep the baking going and share the wealth with others, problem solved.
I've made rum cakes before, but this time I employed my experience and palate freely as the creative juices began to flow.
I took a more conservative approach on the rum of choice, using Rum Chata on the interior of the cake post baking, versus a stronger golden rum. Here comes the however; the batter did have golden rum! The Rum Chata has the addition of coconut flavor included. Therefore; an addition of toasted coconut could be a welcome addition to the top of the cake, after baking.
When serving rum cake to guests do have an alternative dessert, because you will have friends and family that don’t care for alcohol within their foods. My spouse, Ervin, is one of them, I on the other hand adore sherry first followed quickly by rum.
Then comes another however, if the cook uses too much alcohol in a dish I can quickly be turned off. There needs to be a happy medium in the works.
Many keep a rum cake in the refrigerator, this is probably due to the fact people tend to eat small pieces of rum cake, over a longer period of time. Rum cakes actually do not have to be refrigerated due to the alcohol content! Truthfully, during the holidays you can use one cake for a couple of different events,  and it is kept in the refrigerator.
My mom would do this with “Lane Cake”, a rather large cake, kept refrigerated, serving many.
Remember to remove the cake in 10-12 minutes while it is still pretty warm. Enjoy trying this recipe out before the holidays.
You may even find a couple of small Bundt pans and make two smaller versions of this cake. Have an outstanding week my friends.
 The Covered Dish.

Rum Chata Rum Cake
325 degree oven, 1 Bundt pan
Flour vegetable spray for baking
Bottom of Bundt pan:
½ cup brown sugar
½-3/4 cup chopped Pecans or English Walnuts
Body of Cake
1 yellow/butter cake mix
1 box instant Vanilla pudding
1 cup sour cream
½ cup oil
½ cup warm water
4 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup spiced rum (golden color)
(Itty bottles at grocery store yield ¼ cup.)
Cake drizzle:
1/2 cup salted butter (one stick)
1/4 cup water
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup Rum Chata with coconut flavoring
As ‘Rum Cakes’ go they are truly not difficult to make, however; they do need to have a great deal of common sense during the making and baking.
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees:
In the bottom of a well-greased Bundt pan sprinkle in the brown sugar, followed by chopped/ground nuts. Continue on to the body of the cake: Bring dry ingredients together with a fork or spoon. Make a well in the middle and combine all the wet ingredients. I usually start with the eggs, and whisk them really well before adding the remaining ingredients. The batter will be quite thick.
Using a rubber spatula evenly disperse the dough over the brown sugar and nut mix. Tap the pan a couple of times on the counter to release any possible air bubbles.
It took my cake about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10-20 minutes to bake.
Meanwhile; get a small saucepan and place the butter, water and sugar over medium heat. Cook, while whisking until it comes to a hard boil, allow it to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, letting it cool down substantially, before turning the Rum Chata to the mix. Blend well. Set to the side while cake finishes.
Sit cake on the stovetop and begin poking holes throughout the top of the cake.
I use a wooden kabob skewer to poke holes in my drizzle cakes or an old- fashioned meat fork. A toothpick might work, but with the meat fork or skewer I truly get the nice rum all the way down in the cake. Distribute the sauce as evenly as possible, if you have enough pour some along the side walls. Let the cake set for at least 10-13 minutes. I then take an icing knife and gently insert it around the outer perimeter of the cake. Place a piece of parchment across the bottom of the cake before inverting. Be quick on the flip. You will appreciate this because it helps with moving the cake.
Why did I use the Rum Chata? Sometimes rum cakes can be very overpowering and folks do not enjoy them. I felt the coconut Rum Chata brought a milder/kick to the cake. I did not add any coconut to the cake but it doesn’t mean you cannot. Simply toast the coconut and sprinkle it over the top at the very end. If you put coconut in the bottom of the pan it will burn. I did use the spicy gold rum in the body of the cake, knowing that a good portion was going to cook off, during the baking process.