Sour Cream Pound Cake with Rum Glaze

A Nice Variation of the Classic Pound Cake.  The rum doesn't dominate.   Tastes sort of like a lemon pound cake.

We made this dessert for our spring Sunday dinners with family and friends.  Served it with vanilla ice cream but it will be good with fresh berries in the summer, too.  

Divided the recipe into one large loaf and one small, so we could also have it with coffee in the morning.  

---Barbara

Sour Cream Pound Cake with Rum Glaze
(adapted from Cooking Light)

Makes 1 large loaf or 16 servings

Cake:
cooking spray and flour for dusting
3 cups cake flour (about 12 ounces)
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup milk, 2 % or less
1 T. dark rum
2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Glaze:
1/2 cup cane sugar or brown sugar
2 T. dark rum
2 T. water
1.5 T. unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat an extra large loaf pan* or a tube cake pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.  Set aside.  (I put mine in the freezer until time to bake.)

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing well with a whisk.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add milk, 1 T. rum, and vanilla, and beat until combined.

On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Smooth top with a small spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove and invert onto the serving plate or wire rack.

Pierce liberally with a wooden pick, so that the glaze will sink in.

While the cake bakes, prepare the glaze.  Combine the brown sugar and 2 T. rum and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Add 1.5 T of butter, stirring until the butter melts.

Using a basting brush, paint all sides of the loaf with the glaze, including the bottom, ends and sides.  Then keep painting the top with the remaining glaze until it is all gone.

Cool cake completely.

* I made 1 large and one small loaf, and just adjusted the time accordingly.  Small took 35- 40 minutes.  And large 50- 55 minutes.  Compared to X large which will take an hour as the recipes states.  Just check periodically to see if done by inserting a wooden pick in the center until it comes out clean, i.e., not wet and no crumbs attached.