mmmmm RUM!

For some reason around this time each year I start craving being poolside or beach side, lots of pretty new bathings suits, and rum punch! This year was worse then most, possibly because I could actually indulge myself in all of them since I am back in Florida and not longer still freezing my booty off this time of year in DC. Even after spending a few days at the pool, getting 3 new bathing suits, and having a few rum punches, I still couldn't get it out of my system. So I went on a baking adventure to find some cake recipes that included rum as well. But since I need people to help me eat all these creations I decided to throw a Caribbean themed dinner party, with jerk chicken, plantains, and of course RUM PUNCH!! It wasn't very hard to find some friends who were willing to go along with this with me. Needless to say, I was very excited!

I had a really hard time deciding what type of cake to go along with this little dinner party. I needed to 1 have rum in it, and 2 fit the Caribbean theme I was going for with all the food. So I started thinking about all the time I have spent in the Caribbean and what types of desserts I had while there. Of course the first thing that came to mind was Rum Cake! DUH! When I was in Jamaica I couldn't turn around without having someone shove rum cake in my face. And it is just oooh so yummy as well.

Then I remembered that while I was in Puerto Rico I had the most amazing food I have ever had. My husband and I visited there while on a cruise. Once we docked we immediately hailed a cab and told the driver to take us away from the tourist traps near where the ships dock and to a local favorite. Best thing we ever did! He brought us to this little place quite a ways away from the rest of the cruise ship passengers to a little place where we were the only Americans there. It was the best food I have ever had. While there I for the first time had tres leches cake (or three milk cake, so aptly named for the 3 different types of milk in the recipe) and I fell in love. So yummy!

So there was my dilemma, two delicious cakes to attempt, both fit the theme perfectly, but I could not decide. I was leaning a bit towards the rum cake, and asked my husband which he preferred, he in true fashion, chose opposite of me. One vote for each... So I opened it up to my guests to help me decide. They were no help at all! One couple voted for rum cake, one couple voted for tres leches. Sigh... What was I to do then but to make both then!?! hee hee

I know they aren't my usually decorated cakes that I post here, but I decided that this might just turn into a blog about all of my caking adventures, decorated or not. So I included pictures of these little yummies

I started my making a traditional rum cake, but instead of making it in a bundt pan, I decided to make them as mini bundts. After realizing how difficult it is to get batter poured into a mini bundt pan I quickly decided to make a few of the and then bake the rest of the batter in regular cake pans.

Here are my yummy little bundts after drenching them in a rum soaking syup. mmmmmmm!!!

This is my oh so yummy tres leches cake. If you look closely you and see the sweetened condenced milk the the cake is soaked in along the edges of the cake. Again mmmmmm!!

I know that this one looks pretty boring compared to all the other pictures I post, but I decided to include a picture of the rest of the rum cake that I baked in a regular pan, iced in vanilla buttercream. This one ended up being the favorite for most!

After an entire day at the pool, lots of rum punch, and lots of cake with rum in them as well, I have officially cured my need to anything rum for a while. As for pretty bathing suits and lots of sunshine? That is a hopeless case, I am a Florida girl afterall!