Ali Sperry's Family Rum Cake

Singer and songwriter Ali Sperry inherited this recipe from her grandmother. "Nana was the quintessential hostess. She was exceedingly gracious and nurtured everyone around her—with food, with her charm, humor and affection. Even in the last days leading up to her passing at age 96, I remember arriving at her bedside and without missing a beat she said “can I get you anything?”. I am grateful that she handed down her love of entertaining to my mom and to me. She used to make this recipe every year around the holidays and now my mom and I carry that tradition on. This holiday season will be especially meaningful for me, as it will be the first one in the home my partner and I bought earlier this year, and the first one as an engaged-to-be-married person. As Jamie and I transition into this new era of beginning our own little family unit, it feels especially sweet to have these reminders of our grandparents and to reflect on how they enriched our lives with their traditions and influences."

November 17, 2017

Ingredients

Cake
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 18 1/2 oz yellow cake mix
  • 3 3/4 oz instant vanilla
  • pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup dark rum
Glaze
  • 1/4 lb butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark rum

Instructions

 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10" tube or 12-cup bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan.
 
Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake one hour. Cool.
 
Invert on serving plate. Prick top. Drizzle and smoothly as evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb clays.
 
Repeat until glaze is used up. Glaze.
 
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil five minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
 
Stir in rum.

Ingredients

Cake
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 18 1/2 oz yellow cake mix
  • 3 3/4 oz instant vanilla
  • pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup dark rum
Glaze
  • 1/4 lb butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark rum
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