Rum Drenched Vanilla Cake with Mixed Berry Compote

 

I've been an enormous slacker on TWD and for that, I apologize to all memebers, especially our fearless leader, Laurie! But now I am back in the game and have some SERIOUS catching up to do.

Wendy, of Pink Stripes, chose the Rum-Drenched Vanilla Cake and for that, I want to hug her. I can't say it enough - Alcohol in desserts is a-ok by me.  I just love the unexpected flavor that pops from spirits.  And now, I'll stop talking about how much I love the combination, for fear that all of my readers will think I actually do have a problem and will hold a virtual intervention.

I made these vanilla cakes one night when Jack and I were hosting several friends for a dinner party. Every so often, we and a few of Jack's college friends and their girlfriends/wives, whom I now consider my own friends and who I love so much, get together and have dinner or do some other fun event together (like our most recent trip to LBI).  I had decided to make several canapes - Shrimp toast, Filet Mignon with a tomato creme fraiche on water crackers, lemon-taragon meatballs with a sweet tomato glaze, and something else that is escaping me - and two desserts - a lemon tart and these rum drenched vanilla cakes.

Everything went off without a hitch, and of course, I did not take any pictures of anything because I was pressed for time and the sun was setting and I refuse - REFUSE - to take photos of my food with flash, no matter how much Jack tells me I am being ridiculous (food bloggers, you understand). The only thing that I didn't work for me were these cakes. I don't know what went wrong, but I blame the perils of New York City kitchens. My stove is the size of half a stove, and it burns at whatever temperature it feels like. Right now, it is burning at about 25 degrees higher than it should be. Items on the lower rack cook well, but items on the top rack really brown quickly, and these were no exception. I tried to rotate the pans from the top to the bottom, and I was rewarded for my efforts of moving the loaf pans with sunken, dense middles.

I decided to quickly make some rum whipped cream and a mixed berry compote, hoping that would easy the disaster that these cakes turned into. Luckily, it did. But I was still not proud of the dish and did not want to serve it to guests. As they started to arrive, I quickly hid the cakes atop my dresser in my bedroom (I live in Manhattan - I don't have much space) and forgot about it.

Hours later, after our bellys were full and we were happily drinking some summery sangria, a friend of walked out of our bedroom after using the bathroom (we have one bathroom in our apartment and it is in our bedroom - Manhattan living at its finest) and exclaimed - do you have a cake on your dresser?!

Good times, indeed.

Needless to say, I think this cake would have been phenomenal if it were not for my missteps.  Thanks to Wendy for an awesome pick!

Click here for the recipe!

Comments

[Jessica]

Yummy! I'm all for booze in food!

[Juliana]

Wow, love rum in cakes...and the berry compote is sure a great addition to the cake :-)

[The Duo Dishes]

Still looks edible. You can send the unwanted slices to us.

[Tangled Noodle]

I was hooked with "rum-drenched"! How funny that someone caught your hidden dessert in the bedroom - you can't hide cake, no matter how it looks! And it looks pretty darn good to me. 8-)

[Jackie]

Well even if these cakes didn't quite turn out exactly how you wanted them to they look beautiful. And I totally feel your pain with lousy ovens - my oven has a total mind of its own, I never know when something's going to be cooked properly!

Jax x

[Eliana]

Love hearing about other NYers kitchen perils. But you always work it out girl. Quite well might I add because this looks bangin!

[Nicole]

ha, your bedroom must have smelled great! :) Booze in dessert is always a win-win, I'm so with you there.

[ingrid]

LOL, that had to be an interesting sight!
~ingrid

[grace]

'rum' caught my eye, but 'drenched' kept me involved--what a treat, whether done perfectly or not!

[cheffresco]

Haha funny story :) It looks delicious though!

[Katrina]

Ooh, you ARE behind. We baked that cake before our move in June! ;) just teasing

Looks yummy. My friends that I shared this with LOVED it.

Now about the chocolate ganache ice cream--it's heavenly!

[Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes)]

Oh sorry they didn't turn out perfectly!! I'm sure they tasted great though!!

[Ashley]

Aw too bad this cake didn't turn out as you'd hoped but it looks amazing.

[Jennifer]

YUM! This looks outrageously good!

[NHL Jerseys]

I was hooked with "rum-drenched"! How funny that someone caught your hidden dessert in the bedroom - you can't hide cake

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[Cindy Margott]

Love hearing about other NYers kitchen perils. But you always work it out girl. Quite well might I add because this looks bangin!

[supra footwear]

SO gorgeous! Love everything! But especially your sponging on the punched edge-looks so good! And that embossing folder !!!