Recipe: Boozy festive cake

IT’S DECEMBER and Christmas is just around the corner, I am so excited and love the time leading up to the big day. This cake is so spongy, moist and delicious – just so, so good. You can definitely taste the sweet rum flavours in this. If you’d like it to be a bit more boozy, add a few splashes more. It’s fabulous served with a hot cup of tea.

Ingredients

For the cake

120g self raising flour
120g caster sugar
120g butter
2 large eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp baking powder

For the syrup

3 dessert spoons of rum (I used Captain Morgan’s spiced rum)
1 tsp caster sugar.

For the icing

125g icing sugar (plus extra for dusting)
2 dessert spoons of milk
1 dessert spoon of rum
a splash of vanilla extract
sprinkles (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4.
In a bowl add all the ingredients. Using a hand whisk combine the cake mixture to make a batter.
Line a 9 inch circular baking tin with baking parchment and pour in the cake mixture.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Whilst in the oven make the syrup by combining the caster sugar and rum, then leave to one side. Using a knife or skewer check if the cake is cooked if the utensil comes out clean then remove from the oven.
Use a toothpick to gently pierce holes at the top of the cake while it is hot. Then pour over the rum syrup, making sure it has covered all of the cake. Leave to absorb the juiciness and cool.
Once the cake has cooled, flip it upside down.
In another bowl combine all the ingredients from the icing list (but the sprinkles) thoroughly. Then evenly pour and spread this over the cake. You’ll find that this is a thinner kind of icing. Then leave the sponge to absorb this sweet concoction.
When the icing has soaked in but not dried, decorate with your choice of sprinkles. I’ve gone for a more Christmassy looking cake, hence the holly and the festive colours but go to town and make that cake look cute and pretty.
Finally, dust over with some icing sugar.

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