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Mocha Rum Cake

July 31, 2008 by Joy the Baker 64 Comments

So sneaky!  This cake is nothing but sneaky.   It may not have the looks of a world class chocolate cake, but please don’t underestimate me when I tell you that this is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever experiences.

If this chocolate cake were your blind date, you might think to yourself, well…. he’s not as tall as guys I usually date, and he’s a little dorky.  But by the end of the night, you’re both laughing hysterically, he’s taken off his glasses to reveal quite a handsome man, and you’re already thinking about the cute pair of flats you’re going to buy so you’re not taller than him.

This is that cake.  It’ll surprise you.  It might seem a little short, and a little dorky, but trust me when I say it’s worth the leap of faith.

With the flavors of chocolate, coffee and rum, this cake tastes like it’s loaded with all the good things in the world.  I topped mine with a simple rum glaze, but if served slightly warm, I think lightly sweetened whipped cream would be divine.

This Mocha Rum Cake is impossibly moist, and dense without being heavy.  Let yourself be surprised by this little gem.

Mocha Rum Cake

adapted from Gourmet, January 1994

Print this Recipe!

cocoa powder for dusting
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup dark rum
1 1/3 cups strong brewed coffee
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a 4 1/2-inch-deep (12-cup) Kugelhupf or bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove chocolate from heat and stir in rum, coffee, and granulated sugar. With an electric mixer beat in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down side, and beat in eggs and vanilla until batter is combined well.  The batter may seem very loose.  That’s perfect!  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 50 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan on a rack and turn it out onto rack. Cake may be made 3 days in advance and kept wrapped well and chilled.

Dust cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with whipped cream.

I made a simple rum glaze with 2 cups powdered sugar and 2-3 Tablespoons of rum.

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Filed Under: Cakes, Chocolate, Holiday, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

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  1. AmbalaCakes

    October 28, 2021 at 10:39 pm

    Yummy rum cake recipe

    Reply
  2. denise

    December 23, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    I made this tonight using a non-stick 12 cup angel food pan. Everyone says it’s an easy cake which it appeared to be to me too. But, the cake has a huge crack all around the top middle about halfway between the center tube and edge. I am hoping to still be able to serve it but can anyone give me a clue as to what might have happened? Thank you.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Trackbacks

  1. Sweet Things: Why Is the Rum (Cake) Gone? | Our Shelf Lives says:
    January 15, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    […] good friend Joy had a recipe, but it was a mocha variant (and that sort of seemed to defeat the purpose of going for something […]

    Reply
  2. Tipsy Hazelnut Mocha Cake | One Little Pig says:
    January 2, 2014 at 3:10 pm

    […] Tipsy Hazelnut Mocha Cake – adapted from Joy the Baker […]

    Reply

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