Rum Cake
Manolo López•May 6, 2025
Manolo López is a Puerto Rican chef and cultural producer who shares his homeland's flavors through innovative dining experiences and community events. Through food and storytelling, he builds bridges between communities while celebrating Puerto Rican culture.
Instructions
Make the cake
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour (3 cups), brown sugar (1 ½ cups), baking powder (1 ½ tsp), baking soda (1 ½ tsp), cinnamon (1 ½ tsp), nutmeg (¾ tsp), cloves (¾ tsp), and salt (½ tsp).
Sift the dry ingredients three times.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs (4). Stir in vegetable oil (¾ cup), walnuts (1 cup), and raisins (1 ½ cups). Add tomato paste (8 oz) and orange juice (¾ cup).
Slowly incorporate the wet mixture into the dry mixture until fully combined.
Pour batter into a greased 12-inch Bundt cake pan.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a plate.
Make the syrup
While the cake bakes, make the syrup: In a medium saucepan, bring orange juice (½ cup), water (1 cup), and brown sugar (½ cup) to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer.
Add cinnamon sticks (2) and cloves (3).
Stir occasionally and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, strain, and let cool.
Finish & Serve
Once the cake is out of the pan, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the cake.
Let it rest for another 10 minutes before serving.
