Rum cake, need I say anything more

My Aunt Sandy makes the best Rum cake!!! She not only makes it but she must make about 100 of them around the holiday and gives them to her co-workers, neighbors, her husband co-workers, and family & friends. (if you know my Aunt Sandy then around the holidays, your very lucky to know this lady!)

Rum cake recipe:

1 cup of pecans (chopped)
1 box of yellow cake mix
(I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 box of vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 ounce)
4 eggs
1/2 C of oil
1/2 C of water
1/2 C of Rum (I usually use golden but dark rum will work)
Glaze:
1/2 C butter
1/4 C water
1 C sugar
1/2 C Rum (this is the part of the recipe that I start to act like Paula Deen "1/2 C of Rum, or maybe a teeny but more, maybe a little bit more" ha! But not too much or it will be too strong tasting.


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, spray bundt pan with cooking oil, sprinkle bottom of pan with chopped nuts
2. Mix cake mix, eggs, water & 1/2 c rum, 1/2 oil & pudding mix well pour into cake pan and bake for 1 hour (top should be golden & inserted toothpick should come out clean!!
*** immediately once taken out from oven, poke cake still in bundt pan with the handle of a wooden spoon leaving holes in cake (note poke holes deep but not all the way to the bottom!!!)
3. I mix all of the glaze ingredients in a sauce pan (usually when there is 10 minutes left for the cake to bake based on the timer) & heat over medium heat bringing glaze to a boil, let boil 5 minutes then remove from stove.
4. Drizzle glaze over cake top filling holes and pouring down the sides of the cake using a butter knife to seperate cake from sides of pan. Let sit approx 15 minutes before inverting. (be careful when inverting cake there maybe some run off)

My Aunt Sandy is a Fun talkative person. Sandy never meets a stranger, and has maintained several close, special life long friendship that I admire! My Aunt Sandy and myself have been constantly compared to each other while I was growing up. I think my personality and my ability to get into trouble was only rivaled by her. Ha!

However, me and my Aunt Sandy are very opposite on a lot of things. Our opinions are probably as opposite as the Republican and Democrat party is opposite. With that said....however I have come to appreciate the seasoning & influence that My Aunt Sandy has had on my life!

My Aunt Sandy having had such strong opinions, have made me really take a look at what I believe and why. All very important things to know!!

Also even though my Aunt has strong, strong opinions and would love the opportunity to banter with you about them. The banter is for enjoyment sake, not out of meaness. Us talkers understand this. Us talkers take pride in our ability to out talk, or talk our opponent under the table until the wave the flag of surrender. Ha!

My Aunt has a strong, strong, family love that must have come from her mother my Grandma Cavitt, who I shared with you the other day always loved consistently. Because that is how Sandy is, she may not always agree with you, she might not even like you at times, but if she's your family member she is loyal and she is showing up to be part of your life in the small and big ways.

I have heard it said that actions speak louder than words. Then my Aunt Sandy's action scream love! You see my Aunt Sandy lives 4 hours out of state but this does not stop her for helping pull the family together for holidays, coming into town for happy celebrations, and even sad one such as funeral. Sandy will be there standing strong giving her strength to others.

I think My Aunt Sandy must be to my life like a egg is in baking, you might not always taste an egg in a chocolate cake, or coconut cream pie, but without the eggs ability to bind and keep all the ingredients together you wouldn't get to enjoy that piece of chocolate cake or pie very much!

Who is the binding ingredient to your family? Do you share in that responsibility of helping pull your family together? If you live far apart do you make an effort to keep in contact with your family members? I would love to hear what you do!
-Amy