Rum Cake

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Sugar Syrup

1. 1
   Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 5 minutes, until the sugar melts and the syrup thickens slightly.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
2. 2
   Add the rum to the syrup and stir.
3. 3
   Cool completely.

   💡Cold syrup on a hot pastry soaks in evenly.

To assemble

1. 4
   Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and grease Pan.

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 5
   Whip the soft butter with the sugar, until pale and fluffy.

   ⚙ WhippingBowlHand mixerorStand mixerorWhisk

   💡Cream the butter soft, at room temperature: cold butter doesn't take in air, and melted butter doesn't hold it.
3. 6
   Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until absorbed.

   💡One egg at a time, and only when the previous one is absorbed: that way the emulsion holds and the batter doesn't split into curds.
4. 7
   Add the vanilla and rum and mix.
5. 8
   Add the flour and baking powder alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour, and Fold gently, just until no dry flour remains.

   ⚙ FoldingSilicone spatula

   💡Fold with a spatula, in broad strokes from the bottom up, and stop when there's no dry flour: vigorous mixing of a batter with flour develops gluten.
6. 9
   Pour into the pan.

   Baking pan
7. 10
   Bake 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
8. 11
   Take out of the oven and immediately pour the syrup over the hot cake. Let to it soak until the syrup is absorbed.

   ⚙ Syrup on a Hot Cake

   💡The syrup soaks into the cake only while it's hot: pour it as soon as it comes out of the oven, slowly and over the whole surface.