One note. To make a less alcoholic rum cake, add the rum to the syrup while it is boiling instead of adding it at the very end.
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup well-stirred sweetened cream of coconut such as Coco López
- 2 tablespoons rum
Rum Syrup
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- juice of one lime
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup rum
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter cake pan, coat pan with flour, and tap out excess flour.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, Mix together whole eggs and yolks, sugar, vanilla, rum, and Coco López in a large bowl. Gradually mix in flour mixture until combined, then mix in butter until just combined. Pour into cake pan and rap pan on counter to expel air bubbles.
Bake until golden brown and cake starts to pull away from side of pan, about 45 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare the rum syrup. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, add the sugar, water, lime juice, coconut, and pinch of salt. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the rum. Once it is mixed in, return the pan to medium heat for about 30 seconds.
When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately pour about one-third of the rum syrup over the bottom of the cake. Pour slowly so the sauce has time to seep into the cake. Cool the cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool 10 minutes more. Once cool, carefully remove bundt pan from cake. Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top and sides of the cake. Slowly pour the remaining syrup over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. If any of the syrup pools at the bottom, scoop it up with a small spoon and repour over top of cake.
