Because I sometimes bake things that I really shouldn’t.  Case in point:

It’s pumpkin rum cake with walnuts (I didn’t have pecans like the recipe called for but whatev’) and it definitely is NOT low fat, low sugar or low calorie.  Suffice to say it used 2.5 sticks of butter, 4 eggs, and 2.5 cups of sugar.  And there’s alcohol too, the real stuff, only don’t tell hubby, but I added it early in the cooking process so most of the alcohol probably cooked off.

But for anyone game to try it, which I recommend if you’re feeling naughty or lucky enough not to have to worry about any of the previously mentioned issues, here’s the recipe:

2 sticks of butter softened (1 cup)
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of sugar
15 oz. canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans (I used walnuts)

Glaze:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
2 T water (I used 2 T of Captain Morgan’s rum and 1/2 T water and skipped the extract below)
1 tsp rum extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Mix dry ingredients (flour, spice, soda and salt) and set aside.
2. Beat 2 sticks of softened butter with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add 4 eggs and beat well.
4. Add canned pumpkin and 1 tsp vanilla.
5. Gradually combine flour and pumpkin mixtures; mix well.
6. Place 3/4 cup of chopped nuts on bottom of greased 12-cup bundt pan.
7. Pour batter over nuts.
8. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
9. Cool 10 minutes then make holes in cake with long pick.
10. Make glaze by melting 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 T of rum and 1/2 T of water. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. If using rum extract, mix in 2 T water only then add rum extract after removing from heat.
11. Pour 1/2 of glaze over cake while still in pan. Let stand 5 minutes.
12. Invert cake onto plate and repeat with remaining glaze. Allow to cool (but no one in my family can ever wait that long.)

Oo-la-la.