Don't call me "Fruit Cake"!

This cake is a winner and an ultimate must have for any culinary diva's arsenal of "va-va vavoom" desserts because you can make this one 2-3 days in advance----the longer it sits in it's fragrant rum bath the cheekier, and more scrumptious it becomes on that first bite!  What a zinger!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried raisins (golden ones will work too)
1 1/2 tablespoon of your favorite dark rum
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 2/3 cup flour
Pinch of salt

Rum Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup plus 3tablespoons good dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or one vanilla bean
**Bring sugar and water to quick boil, take off heat and allow to cool momentarily, then add rum and vanilla and set aside.

Apricot Preserve Wash:
1/2 cup Apricot preserves
1/2 tablespoon water
**heat preserves and water together gently just until runny, use immediately.

Whipped Cream:
1pint cold heavy cream
3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix raisins of your choice and the tablespoon and half of rum in bowl, set aside to marinate and get tipsy. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush every nook and cranny of a 6"x3" inch bunt or tube pan, this is vital so when it comes time to flip the cake out, this task then becomes effortless.

Heat the milk just to above luke warm ( you don't want it too hot, or it will kill the yeast), then pour it in a bowl of your electric mixer, continue to stir in yeast and sugar----set a aside for 5-7 minutes (you want to see foamy little bubbles during this time, this indicates that the yeast is active and alive). 

Start the mixer on the lowest setting ( unless you want to look like the ghost from Christmas Past), add eggs one at a time, then the flour (slowly in portions), salt, and remaining 5 pats of butter.  Now raise the speed on the mixer to medium-high for 5-6 minutes, turn off the mixer, scrape the batter down, and cover with a damp towel and let it,ahhhhhhh, rest for about 1hr--it will have doubled in size that point.

At this time, drain your tipsy raisins, and fold them into the batter evenly (this is not a souffle, so don't sweat the folding--be a little aggressive with it), then pour-spoon into your prepared pan.  Wet your fingertips and smooth out the top of the batter, cover again with a damp towel and lit it rest for 1hr.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees, bake cake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean if poked close to the center of the cake.  During this time while the cake is baking, make your rum syrup.

When cake is done, let it cool for about 15 minutes, or until it is warm to the touch, run a knife along the top edge of cake and flip onto a cake rack over a cookies sheet pan. Pour or brush on slowly all of rum syrup onto cake, don't waste one delicious drop.

Following the rum syrup, warm your Apricot Preserve mixture, and brush onto the cake (this will give it that beautiful sheen and glow about it).

Finally, dollop on as much whip cream as you can handle and have at it with a great cup of espresso or
Cafe' Au la it.

Can you feel the love on this one?!

TIP: you can make this 2-3 days in advance, cover in plastic wrap or air tight container and store in your fridge.  When you are ready to serve make the whip cream at that time.