Montego Bay Rum Cake Recipe
from The Rise by Marcus Samuelsson
Active time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients:
INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cake flour, plus extra for coating pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup clarified butter, melted, plus extra for coating pan
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and coat it with butter. Sprinkle with flour and shake until coated evenly over the butter. Discard the excess.
Whisk the eggs in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment for 2 minutes, or until the eggs lighten in color. With the mixer still running, gradually add the granulated sugar over 1 minute and continue to whisk for 15 to 20 minutes, until the batter is pale yellow in color, fluffy, and a ribbon of batter falls off of the whisk and doesn’t disappear immediately into the remaining batter.
While the eggs and sugar are whisking, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Combine the butter, 2 tablespoons of the rum, and the vanilla extract in a small bowl and set aside.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add one-fourth of the flour mixture to the batter in the mixer bowl and gently fold until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and fold in just enough to incorporate. Fold in the butter mixture until no streaks of liquid can be seen.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour 9 tablespoons (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) of the rum all over the top of the cake. Once the cake has soaked up all of the rum, carefully remove the cake from the pan and leave to cool completely.
Combine the cream, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon rum in a stand mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake and serve.
It is long past time to recognize Black excellence in the culinary world the same way it has been celebrated in the worlds of music, sports, literature, film, and the arts. Black cooks and creators have led American culture forward with indelible contributions of artistry and ingenuity from the start, but Black authorship has been consistently erased from the story of American food.
Now, in The Rise, chef, author, and television star Marcus Samuelsson gathers together an unforgettable feast of food, culture, and history to highlight the diverse deliciousness of Black cooking today. Driven by a desire to fight against bias, reclaim Black culinary traditions, and energize a new generation of cooks, Marcus shares his own journey alongside 150 recipes in honor of dozens of top chefs, writers, and activists—with stories exploring their creativity and influence.
Black cooking has always been more than “soul food,” with flavors tracing to the African continent, to the Caribbean, all over the United States, and beyond. Featuring a mix of everyday food and celebration cooking, this book also includes an introduction to the pantry of the African diaspora, alongside recipes such as:
- Chilled corn and tomato soup in honor of chef Mashama Bailey
- Grilled short ribs with a piri-piri marinade and saffron tapioca pudding in homage to authors Michael Twitty and Jessica B. Harris
- Crab curry with yams and mustard greens for Nyesha Arrington
- Spiced catfish with pumpkin leche de tigre to celebrate Edouardo Jordan
- Island jollof rice with a shout-out to Eric Adjepong
- Steak frites with plantain chips and green vinaigrette in tribute to Eric Gestel
- Tigernut custard tart with cinnamon poached pears in praise of Toni Tipton-Martin
A stunning work of breadth and beauty, The Rise is more than a cookbook. It’s the celebration of a movement.