Ahhh, rum cake -  a traditional holiday dessert that was brought into this wonderful world thanks to English settlers. Way back when it was first introduced, dried fruit was soaked in rum for several days then added to the dough to be baked. I'm guessing that this was how rum cake's darker and heavier counterpart, fruit cake, came to be. However, Sidney Bascon of Simply Pastries by Sidney, once again delights with her own version of the time-honored cake. The Rhum Cake Loaf is actually one of Sidney's bestsellers on her dessert menu. In fact, it's so popular that she marked today as having baked her 200th loaf since Christmas. 

        I am a lover of unpretentious and simple desserts, such as this cake which has a no-frills touch to it, yet is able to pack in a kick somehow. That is definitely the doing of the rum mixed into the batter. 

          Before my aunt even slices this half-loaf, half-cake creation for everyone in my family to try, I look very carefully at its exterior and admire how its edges and sides were perfectly baked to a golden brown color. Don't let its homespun appearance fool you though. It's what's inside the cake that holds a surprise.

            Notice how the lined cracks on top of the cake resemble a lovely stream? In lieu of water, there are traces of rum glaze that was drizzled on the cake to give it that extra glisten. 

        I've tasted fruit cakes before as well as rum cakes in the past, but most of them were either too dense or overwhelming for my taste. The rum was Since then, I wasn't ever planning on sinking my teeth into cakes that was indistinguishable from the ones I've tried before. Despite that, I made an exception after I had a slice (okay..maybe three) of Sidney's rhum cake. I am reminded of homemade butter cake, which I loved eating as a chunky child. Biting into the buttery slice just sent me off into nirvana. The rum, which is alcoholic liquor distilled from sugar-cane residues, yields an audacious thrill to eating something so delicate and gauzy. 

This was my plate and that tiny fork, or as I like to call a "tork", belongs to me. Any body still willing to fight me for this? 

        Initially, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to relish the taste of the cake because of its rum content. Thankfully enough, it had just enough rum to let consumers experience that extra punch without finding themselves flat on the floor from eating too much of this delectable treat.

           You don't have to wait until the next holiday season to enjoy this cake. In fact, it would suit any occasion or family gathering if you're after a modest way to end a meal. Who says you need a bottle of wine and champagne when you have a cake that's luscious, full of flavor and daring all rolled into a loaf of awesome? 

Sidney Bascon