A Favorite

I always enjoy trying a new recipe, even if that recipe disappoints me horribly and leaves me despising the kitchen for weeks afterwards. There is something very satisfying about finding a gem among, lets face it, alot of duds. I have stacks and stacks of recipes that I have yet to try and really want to.

So why did I fall back on an old favorite? To use up the unbelievable amounts of canned pumpkin I have. I bought it all in October thinking that I would be baking pumpkin everything for the next two months. Wrong. I got completely sidetracked with new recipes and the poor pumpkin kept getting shoved farther and farther back into the pit that is my cupboards. Finally, after throwing a fit about the state of my baking shelf, I cleaned everything up and salvaged the cans.

I made my grandmothers famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Rum Cake which really should be a staple in everyones house. Now that I am married and on my own, the recipe has been passed onto me from my mother so that the pumpkin rum goodness need never die. Though I admit, my first time making it was yesterday and already I have messed with the recipe. I didn't change a single ingredient because there really is no need, but I just didn't want to make a bundt cake. Josh's office, as I have mentioned before, is extremely hectic and no one has time to sit down with a plate and fork and eat a piece of cake. They can, however, tote a muffin around the office while they work. So the cake turned into 18 beautiful mini bundts, each with their own glistening rum glaze.

Again, a recipe met with rave reviews. You have to try this one!
Ciao

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Rum Cake
One bundt cake or 18 muffin size cakes

Cake:
4 eggs
2c. sugar
1c. oil
2 cups canned pumpkin (14 fl. oz.)
2t. baking powder
2t. baking soda
1/2t. cinnamon
3c. flour
1 1/2c. chocolate chips
Glaze:
2T. water
1/2c. sugar
1/4c. butter
1/4c. rum

Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy.
Add pumpkin.
Mix in all dry ingredients just until incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased bundt pan or muffin pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes for the cake or 25 minutes for the muffins.

For the glaze, bring water, sugar and butter to a boil and stir for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
Brush onto still warm cakes and then brush on again when the first coat has soaked in.
This cake is even better the second day.