Amplify Boxed Spice Cake Mix With A Few Tablespoons Of This Dark Liquor

"Dark rum is aged, commonly in charred oak barrels. Together with its base ingredient of molasses, this results in notes of caramel, tobacco, dried fruit, woodiness, vanilla, baking spices, coffee, and/or cocoa. Both similar and complementary to the flavors in spice cake, dark rum's flavor profile bolsters and balances any mix, while providing richness and a full, rounded depth to the finished bake."

"Choose your own adventure when incorporating dark rum. Two to three tablespoons right into the batter ups the cake's moisture and creates a caramelized flavor. Or, you could make a rum glaze by mixing the liquor with confectioner's sugar, then brush that onto the cake after baking and slightly cooling it. Again, you get moisture, richness, sweetness, and complementary flavors."

"Of all the different kinds of rum, dark rum is the winner for spice cake. Spiced rum can be a little too matchy-matchy with spice cake's notes, creating overpowering, one-dimensional flavors; while white and gold rums are too light and tropical. Dark rum is a perfect happy medium."

"Spice cake is a step up in complexity from other cakes, especially perfect if you like a little more balance to your sweet treats since those spices bring in everything from heat and richness to earthiness and nuttiness. It's no wonder spice cake has been a home baker's go-to for decades — did you know the first ever Betty Crocker cake mix was a spiced ginger cake mix, back in 1947?"

Dark rum can transform boxed cake mix into a richer, gourmet spice cake. Dark rum is aged in charred oak barrels and made with molasses, creating flavors such as caramel, tobacco, dried fruit, woodiness, vanilla, baking spices, coffee, and cocoa. These notes complement spice cake flavors by bolstering and balancing sweetness and adding full, rounded depth. Adding 2–3 tablespoons of dark rum directly to the batter increases moisture and creates caramelized flavor. Alternatively, a rum glaze made with confectioners’ sugar can be brushed on after baking for added richness and sweetness. Dark rum works best because spiced rum can overpower, while white and gold rums are too light and tropical.

Read at www.tastingtable.com