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Fernando Morales/The Globe and Mail

This rum-raisin cake with decadent coconut icing is a spectacular dessert for a dinner with Caribbean overtones. On occasion, when I want to totally indulge my guests, I will make some caramelized bananas and serve them with the cake. I like to use a bundt pan, but, if you don't have one, a springform pan will do (it may take slightly less time to bake). The cake won't look as remarkable, but it will taste the same.

Servings: 8 to 10

Ready Time: 3 hours including cooling time

Cake

1/2 cup dark rum

2 cups raisins

5 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Rum syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

3 tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup dark rum

Icing

3 tbsp coconut milk

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup shredded, toasted coconut

Method

To make the cake, place rum and raisins in a small pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a bundt pan.

Beat eggs together lightly. Reserve. Sift together flour and salt.

Cream butter until softened with an electric mixer (about 1 minute). Slowly add in sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Gradually beat in the eggs, scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in vanilla and rum-raisin mixture by hand.

Spoon batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the surface. Bake in the centre of the oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Set aside on a wire rack.

For the rum syrup, combine sugar and water in a pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in lime juice and rum.

Prick holes in the warm cake and pour rum syrup over the cake until it’s absorbed. Allow it to set for a few minutes then turn cake out of the pan and onto a rack to cool.

To make the icing, combine the coconut milk and icing sugar and stir to a smooth paste. Drizzle it on top of the cool cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

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