We are quite fussy about bananas in our house. We don’t like them under-ripe, but we really, really don’t like them over-ripe. This leaves a window of about two and a half hours for optimal banana enjoyment. And as we are a small family, this leaves us with quite a few past their best bananas. It’s a good thing I have lots of great banana bread, muffin and cake recipes on hand.
The thing is, every once in a while I want to try something new…something different…something maybe a little bit rich and decadent. And the other day, it was one of those times. So when I found I had some just-past-their-best bananas that were just perfect for baking, I decided to get creative.
This Banana Rum Raisin Cake was the result. Rum soaked raisins nestle in a moist banana cake, decorated with a boozy-licious glaze. I shared it with friends and everyone gave it rave reviews. In fact, it disappeared in record time.
This is one of those cakes that tastes even better the next day…or even the day after that. It even tastes great naked…
…although I think it is at its best glazed. However, if you are in a rush, just sprinkle this delicious cake with icing sugar.
My Banana Rum Raisin Cake tastes wonderful for breakfast with a nice hot cup of tea or for dessert with a scoop of (you guessed it) rum raisin ice cream. Or for the ultimate in indulgence serve it as a dinner party dessert with a creamy rum-laced coffee alongside.
- 1 cup raisins or sultanas
- ¼ cup dark rum
- 3 cups all purpose (plain) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground if possible
- 1 cup butter, unsalted for preference, softened
- 1¾ cups sugar (I use golden caster sugar, but granulated is fine too)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ cups mashed banana (3 to 4 medium bananas)
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- For the glaze
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 tablespoon liquid honey
- Put the raisins in a bowl and pour the rum over top. Cover and let sit for at least an hour or overnight, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Butter a 12 cup Bundt pan.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together into a large bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer.
- Beat in the beaten eggs.
- Add the bananas and beat in on low speed.
- Add the buttermilk and flour alternately in four additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the electric mixer and thoroughly fold in the raisins and any remaining rum with a wooden spoon.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then remove the cake carefully from the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the glaze, add the rum gradually (a tablespoon or less at a time) to the icing sugar to make a thick glaze. You may not need all the rum. Beat in the honey until the glaze is thick and glossy. Drizzle over cooled cake.
I love bananas but I too am fussy about how many spots it can have on it and I do not like ones that are mushy! Your rum cake looks delicious! Found you on the All My Bloggy Friends party and following on Twitter.
Thank you, Raquel! I’ve followed you back. It’s nice to ‘meet’ you 🙂
I laughed out loud at your window of 2 1/2 hours. My son would 100% agree. Most of the bananas I buy end up in baked goods because he deems them unfit. You make the prettiest bundt cakes, April. Bundt cakes scare me…always worried they aren’t going to release from the pan! Thank you for linking!
Thank you so much, Michelle! I’m sure you would make lovely Bundt cakes. As long as I grease the pans with butter or use cake release spray they seem to come out pretty well 🙂
OH MY WORD! <3 This looks and sounds AMAZING. We're the same – there's a banana window – thus the 30 bananas in my freezer right now! 🙂
I am in love with this recipe, April!!! Thank you SO much for linking it up! YUMMMM
Thank you so much, Rachel!
Wow!! than bundt looks and sounds delicious. I too am picky about my bananas. Most at my house get eaten very quickly so for baking, I tend to buy ripe ones from the store and use them promptly. Please stop by and link up this great recipe post at http://www.mypersonalaccent.com/the-peacock-strut-1/ as we launch our first Blog Strut, Peacock Style.
Thank you, Sande, and thank you for the invitation to join in your Peacock Style Blog Strut. I’m sorry, I’ve just visited today, so was too late to join in, but if you email me and remind me I will try to join in this week 🙂
I just couldn’t resist trying this recipe, although I did alter it a bit to suit my veracious taste for spice cake by adding 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp. of 5 spice powder. As I am a diabetic, I also supplemented some of the sugar content with by using only 1/2 cup of sugar, plus 1/4 cup of Cooking Splenda, and 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar Splenda. Even if not “perfect” for a diabetic diet, it still fully satisfied my sweet tooth. … And I got my spice “cake, and ate it too”. (LOL) Diabetics have the right to eat well too; n’est-ce-pas? Thank you so very much from the bottom of my taste buds !
I also often need ways to use bananas once that perfect ripeness window has closed!
I so glad you like the recipe, Irene. Please do let me know if you try it!