This month’s “Everybody’s Birthday!” themed Bundt Bakers, hosted by Sue of A Palatable Pastime, really started me thinking about I choose to celebrate birthdays in 2017. I’m not just talking about my birthday either; I’m talking about everyone else’s as well.
This year, I’ve decided that I am taking a break from sending homemade birthday cards to everyone that I know. Quite frankly, the list of recipients has become way too long, and most of the people on the dreaded list aren’t even my friends. Instead, they are children of friends or acquaintances, who I neither really know nor care a flying fig about.
It gets a little ridiculous when you want to send a card to one person, but end up having to send cards to five people. Then there are those friends who I have known for years but don’t actually see or spend time with anymore.
Why do I feel like I need to send these people a card to celebrate their special day? Why can’t a Facebook “Happy Birthday! Balloon Emoji” suffice? Why can’t the annual Christmas card with Brenna plastered all over the front be enough? Well, ya know what? This year it will be. This year is the year that I say “No,” or rather “Hell no.”
If I see you on your birthday, then maybe you’ll get a card, maybe you’ll even get a cake, or perhaps maybe I’ll just say, “Hey there. Happy Birthday. I don’t have a card or a gift for you, but I still hope you have a happy, happy, happy day!”
If you are reading this and you are close friends with me, I’m sorry if this post offends you.
If you are one of the people who I have grown apart from in the past few years, well, I’m sorry about that too. Life happens.
If you have one or more children who have a received a card from me in the past, well, once again, I’m sorry. Chances are they have no idea who the person is that sent them the card anyway. I think they’ll live.
Consider this post my way of saying, “Happy Birthday!” Translation: This is your birthday card! Now let’s eat some cake!
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 (3.4-oz.) Box Vanilla Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
- 4 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Canola Oil
- 1/2 Cup Spiced Rum
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
Glaze:
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Water
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Cup Spiced Rum
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar (Optional)
Directions:
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease and flour a Bundt pan; set aside.
- Place all of the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.
- Use a toothpick to prick holes into the entire cake; set aside.
Glaze:
- Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the water, sugar, and pinch of salt.
- Stir constantly for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and very slowly add the rum and vanilla.
- Stir until well combined and then brush or spoon onto the Bundt cake.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Suggestions:
- I didn’t have canola oil in my pantry when baking this cake, so I added olive oil instead. You can replace the oil in this cake with whichever oil you prefer but I think the next time I make this cake I will replace the oil with melted butter for even more delicious butter flavoring.
- Check the cake after 45 minutes of baking to see if the top is browning too quickly. If it is, tent the cake with a piece of tin foil.
- This cake is best served warm. The glaze will harden overnight and not look as pretty as when you first spooned or brushed it on. If you are not serving this cake right away, you may want to dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
Improvements:
- Add 1-cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the bottom of the Bundt pan and then cover them with the cake batter.
- Use pineapple juice in lieu of water in this recipe.
- Use this gorgeous Nordic Ware 70th Anniversary Crown Bundt Pan
to make your next Bundt cake.
- This Better Batter Whisk
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 (3.4-oz.) Box Vanilla Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
- 4 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Canola Oil
- 1/2 Cup Spiced Rum
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Water
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Cup Spiced Rum
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar (Optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease and flour a Bundt pan; set aside.
- Place all of the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.
- Use a toothpick to prick holes into the entire cake; set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the water, sugar, and pinch of salt.
- Stir constantly for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and very slowly add the rum and vanilla.
- Stir until well combined and then brush or spoon onto the Bundt cake.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
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#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board right here. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Bundt Bakers can be found on our home page.
And don’t forget to take a peek at all of the Bundts the other talented bakers have baked this month:
- Banana Bundt Cake with Vanilla Caramel Glaze from All That’s Left Are the Crumbs
- Birthday Buttered Rum Cake from Faith,Hope, Love, and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Bundt Cake de Bollo, Canela y Nutella from La Mejor Manera de Hacer
- Confetti Birthday Bundt Cake from Palatable Pastime
- Confetti Lime and Cheese Bundt Cake from Bizcocheando
- Cookies and Cream Sprinkle Bundt Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Doughnut Funfetti Bundt Cake from Kids and Chic
- Eggnog Bundt with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Lemon and Prosecco Bundt from Food Lust People Love
- Piñata Birthday Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake
- Piñata Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
- Sugar Cookie Bundt Cake from Cookaholic Wife
- Tropical Birthday Bundt Cake from Basic N Delicious
