Fruit Rum Cake

Whoever frequents my blog and reads a little bit of the description (rant :)) will  know how much I love pound cakes. Now here comes the ultimate King of cakes, RUM cake with fruits! It is a festive cake and brings back nostalgic memories of year ending (christmas and new year!! ) Rich, drenched, decadent, dense and a bite to die for- Rum Cake is here!

As I step into the last 2 days of the year 2016, emotions of mixed feelings starts to get heavy on me. Taking a moment to look back and see what the year had to offer - Ummm other than a few glitches, it went on very well. Thankful and grateful to the almighty for a 'No Drama' year :):) Strapping myself to take on 2017!

Coming to the cake, I have tried few different kinds of rum cake, last year baked a brown rum cake with caramelized sugar and all, but did not have an opportunity to click and document. Will do that some other time! This year made this super fantastic fruit rum cake, had to say a prayer before I started whipping butter and eggs :), because I tried to bake one with readymade chocolate cake mix and it did not turn out good taste-wise :(

So was very happy with the results of this sesky cake! :) Go ahead and give it a try! You have my blessings! hehe

Let us take a look at this Fruit Rum Cake!

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots (can add any kind of dry fruits or tutti fruitti that you have)
• 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons gold rum, divided
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tablespoons  plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoons (or more) sour cream
• 1 cups raw sugar, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:

• Combine apricots, cherries, raisins (or tutti fruitti) and 1/4 cup rum in a small bowl and let sit 30 minutes to allow fruit to rehydrate. Drain, reserving rum. Sprinkle fruit with 1 1/2 tbsp flour and toss to coat, set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350F(180C). Thoroughly butter pan, making sure to get into all the curved or ridged places, dust pan with flour (do this even if your pan has a nonstick coating). Whisk baking powder, salt, cloves, and 1 1/2 cups flour in a medium bowl to combine. 
• Whisk reserved rum, oil, and 3/4 cup sour cream in another medium bowl to combine.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat 1 cup raw sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. 
• Add egg yolks and egg one at a time, beating to blend after each addition; beat until mixture is light and very fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat for few seconds. 
• Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. 
• Fold in reserved dried fruit. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top. Tap pan firmly a few times on counter to force batter into edges of pan.
• Bake cake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60–70 minutes( I baked exactly for 60 min). Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. 
• Invert cake onto a serving plate; carefully remove pan and brush warm cake with remaining 1 tbsp rum. Let cool completely, about 3 hours.
• Mix powdered sugar and remaining 1 tbsp sour cream in another small bowl, thinning with more sour cream if desired (the thinner the glaze, the further it will drip down the sides of the cake, so keep it nice and thick), until smooth. 
• Drizzle glaze over cake, working along the center of the top of the cake for even coverage, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Let sit 10 minutes for glaze to set before slicing with a serrated knife.

njoY!! happY bakinG!!

Notes:

Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Do not glaze. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Buttering the pan and dusting with flour is a must step to get nice brown coating. 

You can make use of more rum to soak the cake after it is cooled down. Depends on your taste. I added 1/4 cup more rum for soaking. 

Please take a portion of the cake and keep aside for kids before you soak the cake further with the rum :) 

recipe courtesy from epicurious site!