Drunken Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Orange segments (optional)
• Mint sprigs

Rum Syrup

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons light or dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Prepare Rum Syrup; set aside.
2. Cake: Beat eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored.
3. Add flour, baking powder, orange peel and butter. Beat until well blended.
4. Spread batter in a greased, floured 9-inch cake pan with a removable rim.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F until cake just begins to pull away from sides of pan and center springs back when lightly pressed (about 20 minutes).
6. Set warm cake in pan on a rack; set rack over a plate to catch any drips.
7. Pierce cake all over with a fork.
8. Slowly pour Rum Syrup over cake; let cool.
9. Just before serving, remove pan rim; garnish cake with orange segments, if desired, and mint sprigs.
10. Rum Syrup: In a small pan, mix sugar, orange peel, orange juice, lemon peel, lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring, just until sugar is dissolved.
11. Remove from heat and let cool, then stir in rum and vanilla extract.

Yield: 8 servings