Instructions:

Bacardi Rum Holiday Celebration Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup Bacardi Gold rum, flavored rum, or other spirit
3 eggs
2 cups chopped pecans (divided use)
Rum glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

Combine flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Add butter and mix on low speed until butter is worked in completely; the mixture will have a sandy appearance.

In a small bowl, combine milk, rum, and eggs. Whisk to blend. With mixer on low, add milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in 11/2 cups pecans. Pour batter evenly into pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched.

While the cake is baking, make rum glaze. When cake is done, remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert the cake onto a rack with a large plate underneath. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, pierce cake all over, spacing marks about 1 inch apart. Spoon reserved rum syrup over cake to soak in. Transfer cake to a clean plate and pour thickened glaze over top. Immediately sprinkle with reserved pecans.

Makes 16 servings.

Rum glaze: In a saucepan, combine 11/4 cups granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup rum, then turn off heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and stir until melted. Pour 3/4 cup of syrup into a separate container for moistening the cake. To the syrup in the pan, add 2 cups confectioners' sugar and whisk until blended. Add 1 more cup confectioners sugar' sugar and whisk until smooth. Add up to 1 more cup confectioners sugar' sugar, as needed to make a thick, pourable glaze.

NOTE: The cake can be baked and soaked several days in advance; store it wrapped in plastic wrap. Glaze and decorate the cake the day it will be served.