# Chocolate Rum Cake



## lisbet (Dec 30, 2004)

Is there a way of making a chocolate-rum cake from "scratch"...without using the already packaged and boxed mixes? Have looked all over and all I can find are recipes that start with a box of cake mix and a box of pudding mix.


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## ganner17 (Aug 12, 2006)

Look for a chocolate cake recipe instead of a chocolate rum cake. Cake mixes can be easily modified. Just make sure that you keep the same amount of liquid. So however much rum you add, you need to subtract liquid somewhere else. And also alcohol can seriously alter things, so just remember less tends to be more when alcohol is involved.


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## tessa (Sep 9, 2007)

switching the vanilla extract for same amount of rum , then when its come straight out of the oven poke little holes all over it with a wooden skewer and drizzle rum all over maybe about 1/4 cup, let the cake sit till really cool as the rum will make it more moist, then invert on to a plate and if your going to ice it what about doing it with a rum and chocolate ganash or a rum buttercream made with butter rather than shortening

a good dense cake works well with this one , i have a great cake recipe that is vegan but you so cant tell its vegan , and the longer it sits the better it tastes let me know if you would like it


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

You could slice the cooked cake and pour a little rum in where you sliced. I had a cake made that way that was great! It would have to be a pretty rich cake to not get soggy.


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## lisbet (Dec 30, 2004)

Thank You Very Much for the Suggestions! I really appreciate the help. Will keep trying....guess it will take a bit of experimenting, and will certainly try suggestions given. Thank You!!:lips:


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

RICH STOUT CAKE 
This is a chocolate cake with a difference. It's a basic chocolate cake recipe with the addition of rich stout which makes a very deep, rich cake, not only with the flavour of stout but also the colour to go with it. Guinness works very well in this recipe. The combination of the soft brown sugar and stout gives you fuller texture and taste. Also 100-225g (4-8 oz) of plain chocolate can be grated into the mix to give an even stronger taste. It's very good to eat as a cake, or for real chocoholics, you could warm a slice in the microwave and serve it with a Rich Chocolate Sauce . 
225g (8 oz) unsalted butter 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
350g (12 oz) soft brown sugar 
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 
4 eggs, beaten 
400 ml (14 fl oz) stout (Guinness) 
225g (8 oz) plain flour 
100g (4 oz) cocoa 
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350 F /gas 4. Butter a 20-25 cm (8-10 in) deep cake tin. Cream together the butter with the soft brown sugar. 
Gradually add the beaten eggs. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix the stout with the cocoa powder. Now add the flour and stout mixes alternately to the butter and eggs until completely and evenly bound. You will find the consistency to be quite soft. 
Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until set. You may need to cover with a piece of brown paper after an hour to prevent it browning too much. Allow to cool before removing from the tin. The stout cake is now ready -cheers! 
SOURCE: Gary Rhodes 

qahtan


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Of the various sponge cakes, I prefer a genoise for soaking with liquor. There are a gazillion (at least) recipes for chocolate genoise floating around. Here's a link for one: Recipes From Cookbooks - Chocolate Genoise (sponge cake) - recipelink.com

They have the reputation of being difficult, but really aren't -- as long as you pay attention during the initial warming sequence and add the dry ingredients in three or four separate additions. It's more paying attention than anything complicated.

You'll be rewarded with a cake with a fantastic crumb and which holds up to a soak well.

Another alternative is to make a chocolate savarin. Talk about made for soaking.

BDL


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## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Tessa,

Could you post your vegan cake recipe, please? My baker does a wine cake with sherry, but it calls for a white cake mix. We back and forth because I don't want any mixes in my shop, but we recently got a request for it. We're going to try to do one from scratch using an old King Arthur recipe (cake pan cake) that calls for no eggs or dairy. Would this be the recipe you use, by any chance?

Thanks in advance.


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## norma (Jun 4, 2006)

Sorry Gahtan, I made that Rich Stout Cake and nobody liked it here. The flavor of baking soda was overpowering, and the cake was dry. I rather drink the beer. Please, don't say that I probably messed up with the ingredients. I have baked thousands of chocolate cakes before.


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

You didn't like it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Can't win 'em all.

Although you are the only person that has made it that didn't like it....;-(((

qahtan


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Some more thoughts: 

With Norma on the stout cake. Sorry, Gathan. Didn't want to say before.

Also, a simple genoise should be in every baker's repertoire. In fact, in every good cook's. Full disclosure: I'm not much of a baker myself. I can't make you learn to bake one, but you really should -- especially if you want to see what lies beyond boxed cake recipes.

IMO, do not substitute vanilla for rum, just add the same amount of rum. Vanilla and rum are very good friends. Chocolate and vanilla are very good friends too. In fact, chocolate needs vanilla to taste right. Actually these three are more than friends. Can we talk?

The "poke holes, drizzle rum" thing is right. You'll probably find straight rum to have too much edge, though. Sweeten the rum by mixing it with confectioner's sugar or simple syrup. You want your syrup in the range of 2/3 rum to 1/3 sugar by volume to 50/50. Simple syrup to rum should be a straight 50/50. Taste the syrup before drizzling. It should tasted good. If it doesn't -- adjust. 

Up-market commercial bakers prefer a kind of rum called Stroh 80 from Austria. It's a very high-proof, expensive, spiced rum. You can use Captain Morgan or any other reasonably priced spiced rum and get similar results. I prefer the less expensive rums for baking for their taste, not just because I'm cheap. Besides "spiced rum" there are lots of flavored rums these days; many perfect with chocolate -- coconut, orange, what have you. Rely on whimsy. If you want more of a straight rum taste try an aged rum like Appleton VX, Babancourt, Pusser's, or one of the Bacardi rums that advertises its age on the label. Dark or medium (like Mount Gay) rums are always superior to white for baking. 

BDL


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

One of my favourites to make, as sandwich cake, as Swiss roll, petite fours etc. 
Yes I agree genoise is VERY adaptable..... I use 6 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup flour/.

About the Guinness cake.
It is a cake that requires a dollop of fresh cream with each serving, it is NOT the run of the mill type of cake. 
But it wouldn't do for us to all like the same thing......

Like you I wouldn't give box cakes house room, Yuck,,,,, qahtan


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## norma (Jun 4, 2006)

Sorry if I hurt your feelings Qathan, you gave me such nice reply...
I wish you a very good afternoon,

Norma


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## oli (Aug 31, 2001)

Sorry, but we didn't like it either. Looked interesting and quite promising, but alas it was not to be. Made it last year some time.
Thanks anyway.


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

I think why several of you didn't like it was because the flavour was too intense, as I know many many people like only light milk chocolate yet there are many like myself that prefer the dark plain chocolate that isn't so sweet.
I am sorry you all wasted ingredients on it, but them's the breaks, some you win and some you lose. :-((((.
qahtan


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

I use a bottle of Guinness in the broth for corned beef and cabbage. Even there, I have to balance its bitterness with molasses (molasses is what makes brown sugar brown and makes it different than white sugar). So ... I do like Guinness and molasses and salt. 

I also like many bitter tastes. For instance, I drink several shots of black, unsweetened espresso every morning. Strong, even by espresso standards. I like the odd glass, er pint, okay pitcher of Guinness almost as much as the next boy-o (I'm a boychik myself), but wouldn't consider it as accompaniment to a chocolate dessert. 

When I tried the cake a few St. Paddy's Days ago I was unhappy with it for its bitter background, which was not the bitterness of dark chocolate; and also for its saltiness, crumb, dryness, and lack of richness. In fact, it was more a salty, bitter-sweet quick bread than a cake. My memory is inexact, but as I recall we tossed it rather than finish it. In fact, I think the aura of disappointment was so great, there was discussion about smoking something or other rather than getting drunk. But it was St. Paddy's Day -- memory is hazy. Did I mention I'm having trouble remembering what exactly happened that particular evening? I forget.

:beer:
BDL

On Edit: It occurs to me that qahtan might be using a different sort of baking powder. Hmmmmmmm. I wonder.


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

You know I really can't understand this, when I have made this cake every one has raved about it.
It is moist, very rich, dark, super......
I do think many people confuse this with the taste and texture of a boxed cake mix. which I never use. I have tasted Devils food cake and that to me was atrocious. but to each his own.

I used Calumet B/P, German Chocolate and Van Houten cocoa. The Guinness I use is a can of Guinness.

I must admit I do like a dollop of fresh whipped cream on the side of a slice
which goes well with the taste of the chocolate. But I think I stated this before.

I do NOT add salt to any of my recipes as I mostly use salted butter, But that I feel should be the choice of who ever is making the cake, some people put salt in every thing , I don't.
I am there fore very disappointed that so many of you dislike the cake, beginning to wish I had never posted it. :-(((( ;-(((( qahtan


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

Check the engredients.....

225g (8 oz) unsalted butter 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
350g (12 oz) soft brown sugar 
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 
4 eggs, beaten 
400 ml (14 fl oz) stout (Guinness) 
225g (8 oz) plain flour 
100g (4 oz) cocoa 

No salt >........ qahtan


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## norma (Jun 4, 2006)

BDL, for sure your memory is playing with you. Qahtan's cake was not salty. The taste of baking soda was too strong, it was kind of dry and tasteless. Since it had chocolate and Guinness, I was expecting something rich and flavorful. Some cakes have a tendency to improve after a few days, but this particular one, didn't. We ate it till the last slice, each day expecting some improvement, but there was none.
BTW, even though I printed that recipe at the first time I saw it here, I baked this cake just a few weeks ago, so my memory is fresh...


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## lisbet (Dec 30, 2004)

I want to thank"bored_d_laze" for his postings. Especially regarding the different types of rum...very helpful !! The only brand that I am familliar with is Myers. DH and I love the flavor of rum for baking and ice cream, and the artificial flavoring just won't do it !! 

Does anyone know what the package of chocolate pudding mix (in the batter) is supposed to do for the finished cake?


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## norma (Jun 4, 2006)

At the back of the page where Qahtan's recipe is, I printed another one with Guinness stout. It is a Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes, I got it online but , sorry don't remember were. I have no idea if it is worth baking or not, but the ingredients look kind of good together.

1 bottle (12oz) Guinness stout
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 TBS vanilla
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for garnish
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:
1 (8oz) package cream cheese 
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound confectioners' sugar

Combine milk, Guinness, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
Beat the eggs, one at a time, mix in sour cream.
Whisk together the dry ingredients. 
Gradually mix dry ingredients with wet Guinness mixture. 
Butter 24 muffin pans and divide the batter among them.
Bake @ 350F for around 25 minutes.


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## qahtan (Dec 7, 2003)

This is just a couple of replys I received about "the" cake. qahtan


Great stuff, Gahtan! 



It is good!! Thanks, qahtan! This is going to be my favourite chocolate cake. Smooth, cuts beautifully, very very moist with some rich malt taste. Jeremy, I made this 4 days in advance and froze it. Just thawed it overnight to serve. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't refrigerate...it dries out the cake. Anything spiked with booze will be perfect-o for this cake. A dangerous cake. 

p/s I shaved a bar of choc into the batter. Take it to the limit, baby


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Salt is NaCl, Bicarbonate of Soda is NaHCO3. It's the sodium in each which makes both salty.

As to differing responses to the cake -- perhaps there are two recipes floating around. The cake we made didn't turn out well. qahtan's apparently does. Or, maybe it's just one of those _quien sabe_ things. I'm not trying to invalidate or argue with anyone else's experience.

BDL


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

I've made it several times and did not have it come out dry and nor was the flavor of baking soda overpowering. Everyone I've given it to has really liked it (enough to ask me for the recipe and make it themselves). I live at 1000 feet above sea level and don't know if that affects things at all.

So, some like it and others not. Personally, I can't stand the taste of antifreeze and bleach in cake mixes (mostly the antifreeze, which is supposed to make the cake feel moist). Maybe I tolerate a cake that's dry because of that, even though I didn't find the stout cake to be dry.


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## norma (Jun 4, 2006)

You know what? Different bakers, same recipe, totally different results. Could be...
Anyway qahtan, Your genoise jelly roll with coffee filling looks delicious!


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## free rider (May 23, 2006)

I'm not convinced the results are different. 

I bake from scratch and I'm rather sensitive to the antifreeze in cake mixes. I can taste it from a mile away. Americans who have grown up on cake mixes think of it as normal and would find it odd if it were missing.

Cook's Illustrated did a cinnamon tasting recently. There were some 20 brands or something and all were cassia except for Penzey's Ceylon cinnamon, which is a true cinnamon. The tasters were all so used to cassia that one even called the true cinnamon a "wannabe". 

So... I think we got the same results, but the perspective of our foodie history gives us a different interpretation of the results.


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## norma (Jun 4, 2006)

Hello Free Rider,

Everything I bake or cook, sweet or savory, is always from scratch. One of my son's friend one day picked inside my pantry and said "I have never seen a pantry like that, everything needs to be cooked"! Well except cereal, or a little something else. I really avoid things made for big corporations. Don't like franchises too. If I want to go out and eat, its always in an independent place.


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## lentil (Sep 8, 2003)

Norma, where the heck were you when we were having the franchise discussion? I sure could have used you.....


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## cameo (Apr 9, 2013)

Hi, I have been pondering this discussion and I always make a rum cake for christmas. Now I found on here a fantastic yellow cake recipie, if you were to add chocolate to it with a rum glaze( I use 1/2 c black label captain morgans rum ( not spiced) and 1/2 c sugar) would that work out? Maybe add chocolate to the glaze. I poke holes in my rum cake and glaze it for about 3 hours I also make it a day ahead of when I want to serve it. By all means I'm not the best baker or cook just thought I would like to try this idea also, maybe with fresh blackberries or raspberries. Any help on this I would appreciate also or more ideas to make this work...  .Here is the thread to the yellow cake recipie. http://www.cheftalk.com/t/45372/finally-that-perfect-homemade-yellow-cake


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## denvercupcakes (Apr 10, 2013)

@FreeRider- what do you mean by "antifreeze" in cake mixes?  They always taste off to me so that's why I'm asking.  Thanks!


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## jcakes (Feb 18, 2007)

The recipe for "wowie cake" is a good option for a vegan menu; I've successfully subbed out equal amounts of almond flour for the cocoa to make a vanilla version and added spices for a spiced version.  Google it for a recipe; they're all pretty much the same.  It scales up successfully; I've tripled the recipe for a 12x2" pan to make a single layer of cake (our wedding and occasion cakes are three layers of cake, two layers of filling.)  This cake doesn't rise very much so we don't torte it into layers, I just bake however many layers we need for the order.


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## damon otan (Feb 25, 2013)

chocolate rum cake!!--- 200g neufchatel, 4 individual sponge cakes prefer chocolate(just buy from supermarket), 400ml warm choc ganache, 100g walnuts, 100g sultanas and 100g currants,150ml rum- 1 deep 9inch cake tin lined!

beat 1 cake with 100ml of ganache- putin tin as base- then beat the cheese, 3 cakes remaining ganache to a thick smooth paste -- pre soak the walnuts and sultana and currants, drain and slowly add the rum to mix then fold the walnut mix through the batter! and place into tin and press down level and let sit over night in fridge, decorate with little ganache and some glace cherries and almond


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## chocolatediva (Dec 4, 2012)

qahtan said:


> RICH STOUT CAKE
> This is a chocolate cake with a difference. It's a basic chocolate cake recipe with the addition of rich stout which makes a very deep, rich cake, not only with the flavour of stout but also the colour to go with it. Guinness works very well in this recipe. The combination of the soft brown sugar and stout gives you fuller texture and taste. Also 100-225g (4-8 oz) of plain chocolate can be grated into the mix to give an even stronger taste. It's very good to eat as a cake, or for real chocoholics, you could warm a slice in the microwave and serve it with a Rich Chocolate Sauce .
> 225g (8 oz) unsalted butter
> 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
> ...


Oooooooooooooooo...you have just made this chocoholic drool..............


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## davidasdesserts (Mar 31, 2013)

sounds delish. how large are the sponge cakes? am i correct in reading that they all get crumbled?


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## cheftobesoon (Apr 4, 2013)

qahtan said:


> RICH STOUT CAKE
> This is a chocolate cake with a difference. It's a basic chocolate cake recipe with the addition of rich stout which makes a very deep, rich cake, not only with the flavour of stout but also the colour to go with it. Guinness works very well in this recipe. The combination of the soft brown sugar and stout gives you fuller texture and taste. Also 100-225g (4-8 oz) of plain chocolate can be grated into the mix to give an even stronger taste. It's very good to eat as a cake, or for real chocoholics, you could warm a slice in the microwave and serve it with a Rich Chocolate Sauce .
> 225g (8 oz) unsalted butter
> 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
> ...


I''ve made this cake and if you eat it same day I have to agree it is not nice at all. However, we had some left overs and got a choocolate craving 2 days later and it was divine. It seems that it needs to stand to develop the flavours. Qathan, I have also made it lots of times now, always a couple of days before needed and are always swimming in compliments afterwards.


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## damon otan (Feb 25, 2013)

yeah just 7-8 inch sponges will do! i usually just make 2* deep 21cm sponges but when purchasing from a shop they are usually a 7 inch sorry for delay in reply but i have been busy!


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## cfames (Jul 23, 2013)

Hi there, I will be making a full sheet chocolate cake for my best friends big 50. Can you give me your ideas, on how much rum and sugar I should use? Also, should I leave the cake in the pan to poke and pour rum? Or should it be turned out on a board and then poked? Thanks so much for the help.


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## cfames (Jul 23, 2013)

boar_d_laze said:


> Some more thoughts:
> 
> With Norma on the stout cake. Sorry, Gathan. Didn't want to say before.
> 
> ...


Hi there, I will be making a full sheet chocolate cake for my best friends big 50. Can you give me your ideas, on how much rum and sugar I should use? Also, should I leave the cake in the pan to poke and pour rum? Or should it be turned out on a board and then poked? Thanks so much for the help.


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## damon otan (Feb 25, 2013)

DavidasDesserts said:


> sounds delish. how large are the sponge cakes? am i correct in reading that they all get crumbled?


 sorry for delay been busy opening a new restaurant  yes crumb all the cake - i use 2 or 3 day old sponge as it holds better hence if workin from home easier to buy from shop


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