Rum Cake: Perfect for your elevated dairy-free holiday table
Food restrictions can make being generous and loving with food difficult.
Whether you’re cooking for someone with allergies or you’re the one with the limitations making for others, food restrictions can feel like a giant, defeating barrier in the way.
But with a little strategy and a lot of love, is it possible to overcome the hurdles?
When your loved one wants rum cake but you can’t eat or touch dairy, can dreams still come true?
Method
Recipe Source: Preppy Kitchen’s Rum Cake
Dairy-Free Modifications:
As usual, instead of unsalted butter I used Imperial brand unsalted margarine sticks in a 1:1 ratio (both for the cake batter and rum glaze)
Instead of whole milk I used almond milk (Bettergoods brand from Walmart in Original) in a 1:1 ratio
Not a dairy modification, but I didn’t have cake flour. I followed this guidance from The Pioneer Woman for a substitution
Procedures
This cake does involve some love, but the procedures are straightforward. It involves creaming together the butter (margarine), oil, and sugar, then eggs, then alternating additions of dry ingredients and other wet ingredients. After you bake, you poke holes in the base of the cake and pour in the glaze. Once set, you flip the cake right-side up and glaze the top as well, before dusting in confectioner’s sugar.
I did find that my cake needed significantly more time to be fully baked- more like an hour and 20 minutes instead of one hour. This may have been particular to my oven, however. My recommendation is to check as carefully and thoroughly as you can before removing your cake from the oven.
Results
Does this look like love to you?
It tasted like a little slice of heaven! if they have rum in heaven, which they probably do. They probably at least have this cake.
This cake was deliciously boozy but not overly strongly. It wasn’t too sweet, for those of you whose palettes are inclined that way. The texture was substantial without being too heavy or “claggy.” In short, I think Prue Leith would approve.
Discussion
Yes, baking for or by someone with food allergies requires extra patience, perseverance, and know-how. That’s why I’m here- to test out the recipes and modifications for you and to encourage you along the way.
Baking and cooking can be acts of love, and allergies and other dietary restrictions can feel like barriers to expressing that love. But what if baking by or for someone with allergies was an especially great act of love because of the extra care that is involved?
In this season of overwhelm and chaos (it’s December as I’m writing this), perhaps it’s worth taking the time to reframe some of our challenges with giving as putting extra care and love into these traditions.
Who knew that rum cake could cause these deep reflections? But even if you don’t indulge in these psychological musings, this cake is simply delicious and worth making this season!