Dark and Stormy...the cake version.

While searching for a boozy, summery cake to celebrate a couple of  friends' birthdays I came across several Dark and Stormy cupcake recipes but very few actual cake recipes. When life hands you cupcake recipes turn them into cake recipes.

Making a recipe your own...The most interesting recipe I found came from Kidchamp. I liked that there are two different batters and I could easily turn this into a layer cake. While the cake recipe fit my needs I wasn't sure that the cream cheese frosting fit well with the flavors of a Dark and Stormy cocktail, so I created my own boozy butter cream.

ingredients: 

Ginger Cake

2oz fresh grated ginger

1/2 c molasses

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 c water

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

Rum Cake

3/4 c softened salted butter

3/4 c sugar

2 egg yolks, 1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBS lemon zest 

3/8 c Gosling's dark rum

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c heavy whipping cream

Rum Syrup

4 TBS salted butter

3/8 c sugar

1/3 c Gosling's dark rum

Rum Lime Frosting

1 c salted butter at room temperature

1 lb confectioners sugar

1 TBS heavy whipping cream

2 TBS Gosling's dark rum

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

2 TBS lime zest

optional garnish: lime slices and crystalized ginger

preparation:

Ginger Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan. Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix together molasses, sugar and oil in a separate large bowl. Heat water in the microwave for about 60 seconds and then stir in baking soda. Stir the baking soda mixture into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger and then whisk in the flour mixture until combined. Add egg and mix until combined. Pour the batter into cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes and then turn the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Rum Cake

Grease and flour a second 9 inch round cake pan. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat together butter and sugar until well combined and light.  Add in the eggs and vanilla, then the lemon zest and finally the rum.  Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl.  Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture alternating the whipping cream until just blended.  Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan and then turn the cake out on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Rum Syrup

Combine the butter, sugar and rum in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously and bring to a low boil.  Once boil is reached take the syrup off of the heat and set aside to cool.  

Once the cakes have cooled stack them on top of each other. I chose to put the rum cake on the bottom and the ginger cake on top.  Once stacked poke numerous holes in the layers of cake with a wooden skewer.  Once the rum syrup has cooled, slowly pour it over the cake layers using a pastry brush to evenly distribute the syrup. Let the cakes soak up the rum for several hours or over night.

Rum Lime Frosting

Mix together the whipping cream, vanilla, salt and lime zest. Beat the butter until creamy. Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar to the butter gradually.  Add in the rum mixture gradually. Add in the rest of the sugar.  Mix until creamy. 

Frost the cake layers. Start by pouring the frosting in the center of the cake and work your way out and over the edges.  I garnished this cake with lime slices that had been patted dry and small slices of crystalized ginger.