Bacardi Rum Cake

I was given this recipe for rum cake by my old college roommate, which he had gotten off a bottle of Bacardi. We had decided on a pirate-themed party for my 21st birthday, complete with rum cake, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom Pirates of the Caribbean standups, and drunken Karaoke Revolution. I fell in-love with the cake while I was still aware of my taste buds, and simply HAD to get the recipe. I've made this cake many times, and it has always been a crowd pleaser. The recipe works best when you use a darker rum, but you really can use any type. Next week, I plan on making a pina colada rum cake, using pineapple rum (and pineapple flavored pudding mix, if I can find it) in the cake, and coconut rum in the glaze. I'll definitely be posting pictures and a review after it's been tested.


Ingredients:

    * ---Cake---
    * 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
    * 1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix
    * 1 1-3/4 ounce (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix
    * 4 eggs
    * 1/2 cup cold milk*
    * 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    * 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
    * ---Glaze---
    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 1/4 cup water
    * 1 cup sugar
    * 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Preparation:
Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with fork. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Use brush or spoon to put extra dripping back on cake.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.