Banana-Rum Party Cake

This large cake is best prepared, frosted, and refrigerated one day ahead to bring out its delicious rum flavor. While banana extract isn’t a common kitchen ingredient, I use it to enhance the flavor of the bananas in this cake. Cake often signals a celebration, so we shared this one with our neighbors, Jeff and Negar, to say hello to their five-day-old baby. Welcome to the world, Elsa!  

Banana-Rum Party Cake:

1-½ c. coarsely chopped pecans

1-½ c. golden raisins

3 c. all-purpose flour, divided

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. butter (no substitutes), at room temperature

1 c. mashed bananas

2 tsp. banana extract (optional)

4 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ c. dark rum, divided

Rum-flavored whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Combine pecans and raisins with ½ c. flour; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside. Using electric beater, add sugar to butter in small increments, beating at least five minutes, until no graininess remains. Beat in bananas and banana extract. Add small amount of flour mixture, beating until fully incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding alternately and beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in ½ c. rum, blending well. Fold in floured pecans and raisins. Turn batter into 10-inch ungreased tube pan. Bake 75 min., until skewer inserted into cake comes out clean. Let cake cool upside down on wire rack 15 min. Run a knife between cake and pan before turning out of pan and onto rack. Poke a dozen or so holes into cake with skewer; pour remaining rum over hot cake. Cool completely. Serve with rum-flavored whipped cream or top with Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows).

This well-used 10-inch tube pan will do nicely

These bananas do look awful!

Tasty and nutritious inside, they'll do nicely, too

Mash and measure a cupful of bananas for this yummy cake

Add some of the flour to raisins and pecans

Combine well so fruit and nuts don't sink into batter

Combine rest of flour with spices

Have rum measured and at the ready. Set aside

Alternate egg and flour mixtures

Beat after each addition; fold in pecan mixture and part of rum

Bake 75 min., cooling 15 min. in upside-down pan

Test for doneness with skewer

Pour remaining rum into skewered holes; cool completely.
Top with whipping cream and/or Buttercream frosting

P.S: Making a cake from scratch is easier than you think ... Besides, everyone loves cake!