Rum Raisin Cake

I remember that yummy Bacardi Rum cake from the 1970's and 1980's?
Wow, I always loved that stuff.
Here's my version.... it doesn't have any cake or pudding mixes, just ingredients that you might already have around the house.  It's not hard to make from scratch and certainly easier than running to the store for a bunch of mixes.

I know not everyone likes raisins, but everyone likes rum, right?
So, maybe you can get people to try it. I happen to like both raisins AND rum, especially together.

This cake has quite a lot of rum in it, so it's best not to share with the kiddies.  In full disclosure, someone served this to me before I was of legal age, and I turned out alright.

Makes one bundt cake, serves about 10-12
Ingredients

Breadcrumbs (for pan)
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup raisins
1 Tbsp rum, or 1 tsp rum flavoring

Glaze:

1/2 cup rum

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Soak the raisins in 1/2 cup of rum, ideally, you would want to let them soak for 1-2 hours.  Drain off the rum that wasn't absorbed and RETAIN it for the glaze, adding a bit more rum to make a 1/2 cup again.  My raisins absorbed about 1/4 cup.

Adjust oven rack 1/3 from bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 9x3-1/2-inch tube pan and dust it lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs. I know that may sounds crazy, but using plain, dry breadcrumbs gives the cake a nice outside texture and makes it easier to remove from the pan too.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In large bowl of electric mixer cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs individually, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula to keep mixture smooth. On lowest speed alternately add the dry ingredients in three additions and the milk in two additions, scraping the bowl with the rubber spatula as necessary and beating only until smooth after each addition.  Add the soaked (drained) raisins and mix one more time gently.

Turn the batter into prepared pan. Level top by rotating pan briskly back and forth.

Bake for 50-55 min and test.

Let cake stand in pan for about 3 minutes and then cover with a platter and invert.
Remove pan, leaving the cake upside down on a large serving platter. Prepare glaze by stirring the rum raisin liquid and the white sugar. It won't dissolve completely, but it will melt when put on the warm cake.  Stir and use at once, pouring half over the cake slowly, giving it time to absorb.Using a pastry brush, continue to soak the entire cake.  Allow to sit and cool.  Serve.

This cake might even be better the next day.  If doing a day ahead, cover and store at room temperature.