Let’s ring in the new year with Hair of the Dog Cake, AKA Rum-Flavored Hot Milk Cake with Broiled Rum Brown Sugar Frosting. Posting date is January 4!
Hair of the Dog Cake
Author:
Serves: 1 9- by-13-inch cake • 24 servings
Ingredients
- For the Hot Milk Cake
- 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (45 g) cake flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces (1½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2¼ cups (450 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dark rum
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- For the Broiled Frosting
- 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) dark rum
- For the Rum-Flavored Whipped Cream (optional)
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum
Instructions
Make the Hot Milk Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a saucepan set over low heat, stir together the butter and milk until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot and begins to bead (small bubbles appear) around the edge of the pan. Keep the mixture on very low heat (avoid a rolling boil) and stir occasionally while you make the batter below.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until thick and pale (the mixture will change color as it thickens). Replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Add the dry mixture all at once and beat the on the lowest speed until just incorporated.
- Remove the hot milk mixture from the heat. Stir in the rum and vanilla extract. Pour the hot milk mixture into the batter and beat until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Transfer the cake, still in its pan, to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the frosting, as it is important to apply it to a very warm cake.
Make the Broiled Frosting
- Preheat the broiler.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the brown sugar, and stir until combined. Add the cream and rum and whisk until incorporated.
- Pour the frosting over the warm cake (still in its pan) and place in the oven directly under the broiler.
- Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the top of the frosting is just starting to brown and looks bubbly; we recommend keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning (you might even want to keep the oven door slightly ajar and watch the cake the entire time). Transfer the cake to a cooling rack.
Make the Rum- Flavored Whipped Cream (Optional)
- Pour the cream into a chilled metal bowl and beat vigorously with a chilled whisk for about 1 minute, until soft peaks form (alternatively, you can use a standing mixer). Sprinkle the superfine sugar and rum over the cream and continue whisking vigorously until stiff peaks form.
- Serve the cake warm or at room temperature; spoon a dollop of whipped cream on each slice, if you like.
Notes
How to store: the cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Excerpted from Baked Occasions: Desserts for Leisure Activities, Holidays, and Informal Celebrations, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2014 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Hi everyone! I made a booze-free version of this for my niece’s birthday cake yesterday, and it worked perfectly. Left out the rum in the cake, and instead of the broiled frosting/boozy whipped cream, I just frosted it with vanilla buttercream. Just thought I would share in case anyone was shying away from this due to the alcohol. It makes an absolutely lovely vanilla cake.
I just made this for a New Year’s eve party, and yeah, if you don’t like rum you won’t like this as is. This is seriously the booziest baked good I have ever tried. But, also, it’s delicious!
I just made this and it is SO TASTY! I skipped the rum in the cream and infused coconut into the cream before whipping instead.