Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces, reserve 1/4 cup (Optional… you’re totally fine leaving this out.)
• 4 whole eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup of canola oil
• 1/2 cup of rum (Don’t use spiced rum, it overwhelms the taste. I actually made mine with bourbon once and it was great.)
• 1 (18.25-ounce) box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe—Devil’s Food)
• 1 (3.9-ounce) small box instant chocolate pudding mix (I used Jell-O, though any brand of instant is probably fine)

Glaze:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup of rum

Chef:

• Remaining rum

Directions

For Cake

(If you aren’t using the nuts, just skip all the instructions for them. You won’t have to do anything special.)

Grease (canola spray works well) a Bundt or tube pan and spread pecans on the bottom of the pan. Beat eggs, oil, water and rum in mixer just until incorporated. Add pudding mix and cake mix and beat on medium-low for three to five minutes until you get a smooth texture. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

NOTE**The glaze needs to be prepared approximately 10 minutes before cake is ready.

For Glaze

Melt butter in saucepan and add the sugar and water, and bring it to a boil. Once it begins boiling, take off the heat and add the rum.

Once cake is ready, take out of oven and leave in pan. I like to use an injector I got from a turkey marinade kit for this next part. The idea is to take half to two-thirds of the glaze and get it soaked into the body of the cake. If you don’t have an injector, you can insert a slim knife (like a boning knife) and pull gently to make a whole. Pour a little of the glaze into the hole and repeat around the surface of the cake until you have between half and a third left.

Next put down some wax paper or paper towels around the outside of your serving dish, and move your cake onto that. Coat the outside of the cake with your remaining glaze. Fill the center of the cake with reserved pecans. Once the cake has cooled and the glaze hardens a bit, remove your paper from the serving dish. The cake is best if stored and eaten at room temperature.