大象传媒

Chocolate Rum Cake was said to have originally been baked in Cornwall; the alcohol used having been brought by ships from the West Indies who put into port with their cargoes of rum and spices.

Serves 10

Ingredients
225g/8 oz butter
225g/8oz soft dark brown sugar
225g/8oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
115g/4oz cocoa
4 eggs, lightly beaten
115g/ 4oz ground almonds
3 tablespoons dark rum
A little milk if necessary

Filling
225g/8oz icing sugar
115g/4oz softened butter
2 tablespoons rum

Method
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C/300 degrees F/Gas Mark 2

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a separate bowl and then slowly incorporate it into the butter mixture, together with the beaten egggs.

Finally stir in the gound almonds and rum. Add a little milk if necessary, unil the mixture forms a soft dropping consistency.

Spoon the cake mix into a greased and lined 20cm/8 inch cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about one and half hours or until the top is firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack and leave to become cold.

Meanwhile prepare the filling by creaming the icing sugar and butter and rum together until smooth and creamy, adding a little extra rum if necessary.

Slice the cake in half and sandwich together with the filling, spooning a little onto the top of the cake and smoothing it over, if liked.

Cakes Regional and Traditional by Julie Duff, published by Grub Street, ISBN 1904943 19 5.

Retired? Downsizing? Moving home to be nearer the kids?