Rum Cake
This gorgeous cake, iced with whipped cream and decorated with toasted almonds, has a surprise inside: it is filled with vanilla pastry cream, and the cake layers are soaked with cherry-rum filling. When you drain a bottle of maraschino cherries for the syrup, you will be left with the cherries: consider using them, whole or chopped, for garnish.
Ingredients
- Cake
- Eggs - 6
- Sugar - 2/3 cup
- Vanilla Extract - 1-1/2 teaspoons
- Flour - 1-1/2 cups, sifted twice
- Cherry-Rum Syrup
- Maraschino Cherry Syrup - 1 cup (pour off the cherries)
- Rum - 1/4 cup
- Pastillera Cream Filling (Pastry Cream)
- Milk - 2 cups
- Eggs - 4
- Sugar - 3/4 cup
- Lemon peel - 1/2 teaspoon, grated
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
- Flour - 1/4 cup
- Whipped Cream Topping
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2 cups
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
- Almonds - 2 cups sliced, roasted
Instructions
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch baking pans, then line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. Grease the paper. Dust the inside of the pans with a little flour and tap out the excess. Combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Whisk for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is combined and foamy. Remove from heat and continue to beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens and doubles in size. Fold in the flour, being careful to preserve the volume. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake 35 o 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Take out of the oven; when the pan is cool enough to handle, turn the cakes out onto wire racks and let cool completely.
To make the syrup: Mix the cherry syrup and rum together and set aside.
To prepare the filling: Scald the milk in the top of a double boiler. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, lemon peel, vanilla, and flour. Pour a large spoonful of hot milk into the mixture and quickly whisk together. Whisk in the remaining hot milk, then return the mixture to the pan. Set the pan over the double boiler in which water is boiling (do not let the water touch the bottom of the pan). Cook, whisking slowly but constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the whisk, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside; let cool.
To prepare the topping: Beat the cream until foamy. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue beating to firm peaks. Fold in the vanilla. Set aside.
To assemble: Sprinkle each layer with the cherry-rum syrup. Spread pastillera cream on the bottom layer and place the top layer on the cream, pressing it slightly to seat it firmly. Spread the whipped cream topping on the top and sides of the cake. Press the almonds into the sides of the cake. Pipe whipped cream onto the top if desired. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
